Ingredients for 4:
400g plums, 400g sugar, whipped cream.
Preparation:
Place the sugar with about ½ litre of water in a pan over a low heat to make a syrup and boil it for 2-3 minutes. Sieve the plums, mix with the cooled syrup and add the cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, freeze and serve.
Plum crumble cake
Ingredients for 12:
1½ kg plums, butter for greasing, flour for the tin. For the dough: 300g flour, 20g brewer?s yeast, 12cl milk, 30g butter, 30g sugar, ½ lemon (grated zest), ¼ tsp salt, 2 eggs. For the crumble topping: 350g flour, 200g butter, 200g sugar.
Preparation:
Prepare the dough: sieve the flour into a large bowl, make a well in the middle and put in the yeast. Melt it with the warm milk and knead with a little flour. Cover the bowl and allow to rest for about ¼ hour. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the sugar, eggs, grated lemon zest and salt. Add the mixture to the dough and the rest of the flour. Knead to obtain a smooth, uniform and fairly soft dough. When the dough begins to form bubbles stop kneading and cover with a cloth. Allow to prove in a warm place until doubled in size. Roll out the dough and place in a greased and floured 43x33 cm rectangular baking tray. Prick with a fork. Wash the plums and remove the stones. Cut in half and place neatly on the dough. In a bowl, mix together the flour, sugar and butter for the crumble topping and sprinkle over the fruit. Allow the cake to prove for 10-15 minutes then cook in a pre-heated oven (200°C for 30-35 minutes). During baking, check the bottom of the cake often to ensure it doesn?t brown too much.
Suggestion:
This cake can be prepared in various ways and using different pastries (short crust or leavened pastry) or fillings, which can be replaced by confectioner?s custard or Ricotta cheese and topped with fresh chopped fruit. The only essential ingredient is the fruit, in other words, plums which must be ripe but firm so they do not become mushy when cooked.
