Beet Dumplings with Poppy-Seed Butter

This is a really difficult recipe to rate.

On the one hand, the flavor was amazing. But on the other hand cooking them was a disaster.

These dumplings are made from beets that were roasted and then put through a ricer. Onion and garlic are sautéed, then dry white bread is torn into pieces, and sauteed with the onions until they soften. Mix that with the beets, plus two eggs, gorganzola, milk, and chopped parsley.

All that went OK, but then you are instructed to boil these babies. My first couple completely disintegrated. I attributed that to making flattened patties, so I started over, clean water, with ball shapes. Again they completely fell apart. So I just fried the suckers.

They were rather soft, and I don't like frying, but the flavor was really amazing. Maybe a touch too much gorgonzola, and I think I'd like them even more with goat cheese.

But why did they fall apart in the water. It reminded me of the disaster I had making gnocchi from Zuni Cafe Cookbook. Any advice from you amazing cooks out there would be welcome.