Plumble

I had a hankering for a seasonal plum crumble recently, but not just any crumble. A SUPERCHARGED crumbly plum crumble. A plum crumble with crumble EVERYWHERE. So much crumble that the word crumble is no longer fit for the task. So behold, the PLUMBLE!

Prep time: 15 Mins

Baking time: 30 Mins

50g Unsalted Butter (At room temperature)

50 Ground Almonds

75g Plain Flour

100g Light Muscovado Sugar

50g Flaked Almonds

1tsp Icing Sugar

6 Large Ripe Plums

Let’s get this bad boy going! Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5 and grab a medium sized ovenproof dish or tin. In a large mixing bowl rub together the butter, almonds and flour, then stir through the sugar. It feel like slightly damp sand when you run it through your fingers. In a separate small bowl mix together the flaked almonds and icing sugar.

Tip half of the crumble mixture over the base of the dish and even to the edges lightly with your fingers. Halve and stone the plums, then nestle in and around the crumble mixture. Scatter the rest of the crumble mixture on top, the do the same with the dusted flaked almonds.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes, then raise the oven temperature to 220C/425F/Gas 7 for the around 5 mins, until the flaked almonds are a toasty golden brown. When you are happy the plumble is baked remove from the oven, leave for 10 minutes to cool slightly and you are ready to serve. PLUUUUMMMMMMMBLLLLLLEEE!!!

Prune Pudding

I can be quite the compulsive sort and once a recipe gets me going I find myself making different versions of it over and over. At the moment it's puddings that have piqued my interest, deliciously soft and sweet and stodgy and ALWAYS served with custard!

Prunes have quite the negative reputation, but they really are beautiful to bake with and when prepared properly almost melt into your cake mixture. I like to steep mine for 24 hours, which not only softens them but leaves you with an INCREDIBLE liquor. So what are you waiting for? ;-)

Prep time: 20 Mins (Plus 24 hours steeping time)
Baking time: 70 Mins
200g Partially Rehydrated Prunes (Available in foil sachets from the supermarket)
150ml Hot Black Tea
50ml Brandy
50g Runny Honey
60g Unsalted Butter (Softened)
75g Raw Cane Sugar with Stevia
2 Large Eggs
1tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2tsp Almond Extract
100g Ground Almonds
50ml Milk
75g Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Powder

The first task is to steep the prunes. Add the prunes to a bowl or container and pour over the tea, brandy and honey. Stir it all together and cover. Leave for around 24 hours to steep, stirring occasionally. 

Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3, grease a 16cm pudding tin and line with baking paper. The lining is actually the hardest part of this whole recipe, so fiddly!

Cream together the butter and sugar/stevia, then beat in the eggs one at a time along with the extracts. Add the ground almonds, followed by the milk and mix together. Sift in the fLour and baking powder, then give it a final mix until you are left with a consistent batter.

Using a slotted spoon lift the prunes from the steeping liquor and fold into the pudding mixture. Pour the liquor into the prepared tin, then spoon in the pudding mixture, evening carefully to the edges. Grease a sheet of foil and cover the top of the tin with it, folding over the edge to seal. Bake in the centre of the oven for around 70 minutes, by which time a metal skewer or sharp knife should come out clean when inserted into the middle of the pudding.

When you are happy the pudding is baked remove from the oven. Leave in the tin for about ten minutes, before turning out onto a heatproof plate, VERY carefully peeling off any baking paper. Serve with custard. :-)

Plum and Hazelnut Pudding Cake

There is so much delicious fruit in, or just coming into season at the moment I find myself going fruit crazy! Consequently, I do on occasion have some leftover which is a great excuse to fire up the oven and get baking. This time I used some fat plums to make a pudding cake which is sooooo delicious both hot with custard as a pudding or cold as a cake. I've tried to keep it wholesome too, well relatively at least. ;-)

Prep time: 20 Mins (Plus macerating time)

Baking time: 45 Mins

300g Ripe Plums (Stoned and chopped)

50g Light Muscovado Sugar

Zest and Juice of 1 Medium Orange

115g 0% Natural Yoghurt

2 Large Eggs

125g Light Muscovado Sugar

75g Wholemeal Flour

1tsp Baking Powder

100g Ground Hazelnuts

Ok, lets start with the plums. Add the plums to a large mixing bowl and cover with the sugar, along with the orange zest and juice. Cover and leave in a cool place to macerate for at least four hours (ideally overnight), stirring occasionally. 

Once the plums have macerated you can start on the pudding. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4, grease a 16cm pudding tin and line the bottom with a little disc of baking paper. In a large mixing bowl beat together the yoghurt, eggs and sugar. Add the flour and baking powder, followed by the hazelnuts then mix to a consistent batter. Add the plums, leaving behind about 3tbsp along with the macerating liquor and fold through to combine.

Add the remaining plums and liquor to the tin, then top with the cake mixture, evening to the edges. Cover with a sheet of greased foil and bake in the centre of the oven for around 45 minutes. When you are happy the cake is baked remove from the oven, carefully peel off the foil and leave in the tin for around ten minutes. Run a flat bladed knife around the edge of the cake to free it then turn out onto a plate, peeling off the baking paper from the top. You're all done!