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Plums with muscovado cream recipe

Within its simplicity, this family recipe celebrates the natural beauty and taste of plums.

Plums with muscovado cream. Picture: Nikki To
Plums with muscovado cream. Picture: Nikki To

Juicy and ripe, the plums of late summer dangle from the branches like precious jewels, their skins glistening in the warm sun, ­promising a burst of sweet and tangy flavour with every bite.

The simple dessert recipe comes from my godmother, Elizabeth Fern, who first cooked this dish for me when I was staying with her in Suffolk in the UK. Its simplicity celebrates the natural beauty of plums, which come in all shapes and sizes – as small as a cherry to the size of large egg – and myriad colours including yellow, green, red and even white. With exotic names like Black Splendor, Red Candy, Sierra Sweet, Bright Pearl and Purple Majesty, there are some real gems to pick from.

When selecting plums, look for aromatic fruit that is firm to the touch, with a slight give when gently pressed. I like to serve these with a cream that is made tangy by the addition of Greek yoghurt and sweetened by rich muscovado sugar. Placed together in the fridge, the hygroscopic properties of the sugar transform it into a sweet, crunchy caramel, which I would happily eat on its own but is a beautiful match for the plums.

A simple summer dessert recipe. Picture: Nikki To
A simple summer dessert recipe. Picture: Nikki To

RECIPE: Late summer plums with muscovado cream

Ingredients

  • 150g double cream
  • 150g Greek yoghurt
  • 40g muscovado sugar
  • 12 plums, whatever varieties take your fancy; I chose a mix of blood plums, garnet and sugar plums
  • 1 egg white
  • 60g caster sugar

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180C.
  2. Mix together the double cream and Greek yoghurt and place in a small bowl. Sprinkle the muscovado sugar over the top so that it completely covers the cream. Place in the fridge and leave for at least 40 minutes.
  3. Roll the plums in egg white and then in caster sugar so that they are coated in one thin, even layer.
  4. Carefully place on a baking tray stem side down.
  5. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the sugar lightly caramelises and forms a thin crust around the plums, which will begin to soften and gently burst and exude some of their juice. Remove and allow to cool in the baking tray.
  6. Serve with the muscovado cream.

Serves 4

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/plums-with-muscovado-cream-recipe/news-story/c2df3f5d4acc17af6c5c6d9dc4814a9b