WFU Home

PLUMS

Plum and Drambuie Mousse
Serves 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 115g (4 oz) caster sugar
  • 250ml (10 fl oz) plum puree
  • 6 eggs
  • 15g (0.5 oz) gelatine
  • 25ml (1 fl oz) Drambuie
  • 100ml (1pt) whipped cream
  • 6-8 fresh plums to decorate
  • 6-8 mint leaves to decorate
METHOD
  1. Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff.
  2. Dissolve the gelatine in a small amount of water.
  3. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar.
  4. Fold in the plum puree and the Drambuie.
  5. Add the gelatine and fold in the egg whites and whipped cream.
  6. Pour into individual ramekins garnish with fresh plums and mint leaves.
  7. Refrigerate.
  8. Serve with fresh cream.

Plum and Pine Nut Crumble
Serves 4 - 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 150g (5 1/2 oz) caster sugar
  • 750g (1lb) plums, stoned and quartered
  • 55g (2 oz) porridge oats
  • 55g (2 oz) self-raising flour
  • 125g (4 1/2 oz) ground almonds
  • 150g (5 1/2 oz) unsalted butter
  • 55g (2 oz) pine nuts
METHOD
  1. Put the plums in a bowl and scatter 2 tablespoons of sugar over. Leave to one side for 30 minutes.
  2. Drain juice off through a sieve and discard. Transfer plums to a shallow oven proof dish.
  3. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
  4. Combine the oats, flour, ground almonds and remaining sugar.
  5. Add the butter and rub together to form a crumble.
  6. Stir in the pine nuts.
  7. Scatter the crumble over the fruit.
  8. Bake for 45 minutes until golden and crisp on the top.
  9. Leave for 20-30 minutes before serving.
The crumble is also delicious served cold.

Plum flan

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 eggs
  • 125g sugar
  • 80g flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/5litre milk
  • 50g butter
  • glug of Amaretto or a scented liqueur
  • sachet of vanilla sugar
  • 500g plums (or any seasonal fruit such as cherries or apples)
METHOD
  1. Wash the fruit, remove the stones, prepare any way you like.
  2. Beat the eggs; add the sugar and salt and mix together.
  3. Sift in the flour and beat until light and fluffy.
  4. Melt half the butter and when it cools, add it to the mixture.
  5. Add the milk and blend it in.
  6. Add the alcohol and stir in lightly.
  7. Put the fruit into a shallow, generously buttered ovenproof dish and pour the mixture on top.
  8. Top with a few knobs of butter
  9. Bake at medium heat (200C/400F/gas mark 6) for 40 minutes until golden brown on top and the fruit is tender.
  10. Sprinkle on more sugar and either blitz under the grill or place in the oven for a few minutes longer.
  11. Eat hot or cold with ice cream.

Plum and Elderberry Jam
Makes about 3.2 kg (7lb)

INGREDIENTS

  • 1kg (2lb) elderberries
  • 300ml (1/2pt) water
  • 1.25kg (2.5lb) plums
  • 2kg (4lb)sugar
METHOD
  1. Remove stalks from the elderberries and place in a saucepan with half the water.
  2. Simmer gently until tender and strain through a jelly bag.
  3. Stone the plums and cook in a preserving pan in the remaining water until tender.
  4. Add the elderberry juice and remove from heat.
  5. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.
  6. Return the pan to the heat, bring to the boil and boil rapidly until setting point is reached.
  7. Pour into warmed jars, cover and label.

Plum Charlottes with Cider Brandy Sauce (new)
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 115g (4oz) butter
  • 50g (2oz) demerara sugar
  • 450g (1lb) plums, stoned and thickly sliced (or eating apples or pears)
  • 25g (1oz) caster sugar
  • 2 tblsp water
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 25g (1oz) ground almonds 8-10 large slices of white or wholemeal bread
For the cider sauce:
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 40g (1½oz) caster sugar
  • 2 tblsp cider brandy (www.ciderbrandy.com)
METHOD
  1. Preheat the oven to 190C / gas mark 5.
  2. Line the base of 4 individual 10cm (4in) diameter, deep ramekin dishes. Brush evenly with melted butter and sprinkle with demerara sugar to coat evenly.
  3. Place the plums in a pan with the caster sugar, , water and cinnamon and cook gently for 5 minutes or until the plums have softeend slightly. Leave to cool, then stir in the ground almonds.
  4. Cut the crusts off the bread anduse a pastry cutter to cut out four rounds to fit the bases of the ramekins. Dip the bread rounds in melted butter and fit into the dishes. Cut 4 more rounds to fit the top and put to one side. Cut the remianing bread into strips, dip into the melted butter and use to completely line the sides of the ramekins.
  5. Divide the plum mixture among the lined dishes and level the tops. Place the bread rounds on top and brush with the remianing butter.
  6. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes.
  7. To make the sauce, place the egg yolks and caster sugar in a large bowl and whisk together until pale. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk in the cider brandy until light and frothy.
  8. Remove the charlottes from the oven and turn out onto warm serving plates. Pour a little sauce over and around and serve immediately.

Spiced Plum Cobbler (new)
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 750g plums, halved
  • 100g caster sugar
  • strip of orange zest
  • half a stick of cinnamon
  • 2 star anise
  • 250g self raising flour
  • 120ml plain yoghurt
  • 2 medium eggs
METHOD
  1. Preheat the oven to 220C or gas mark 7.
  2. Put the plums, half the sugar, the orange zest and spices in a 1.25l capacity pie dish with 3 tblsp of water. Cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes until tender.
  3. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the remianing sugar.
  4. Beat the yoghurt and eggs together in a separate bowl and add the mixture gardually to the flour until you have a soft dough (you may not need it all).
  5. Lighlt knead the dough on a floured surface, adding more flour if it seems sticky. Pat out with your hands to a 2cm thickness. Use a pastry cutter to cut scones from the dough.
  6. Remove plums from the oven and take off the foil. Arrange the scones on top of the plums, overlapping them slightly.
  7. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the scones are golden and well risen. Serve straight away.
www.wfu.org.uk