Multicoloured plums & a bunch of recipes

Because it is the season, I have put together a few recipes and images of plums! I have rediscovered those coming back to France, especially Mirabelle plums. The other day my Mum gave me a full bag from her neighbour’s tree. So I made a tart, a clafoutis, a cake and then jam again! Hope you find something to your liking to keep you baking in the kitchen and warm at heart.

I am back in Greece preparing for our next food photography workshop and new projects. So I am lucky to enjoy a longer hot summer with street markets full of beautiful fresh and colourful produce (including plums!). I am also working on a small city guide about coffee shops in Athens, so stay tuned!

 

Mirabelle plums cake

This recipe is inspired from the French blog La popotte de Manue. I have just changed one thing in the method by not whisking the egg whites separately (because I got a bit lazy…). Altogether I think the cake tastes just as fine like this!

Ingredients

400g mirabelle plums, pitted
4 eggs
150g sugar
80g butter, melted
100g greek yogurt
200g flour
1 tsp baking soda

Method

Pre-heat the oven at 160°C / 320°F

Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and at least doubled in volume. Add butter and yogurt. Then add flour and baking soda until smooth.

Pour in a round cake tin (greased and floured). Insert in the dough the pitted plums in halves. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for about an hour or until cooked when tested with a skewer (depending on your oven). Allow to cool in the tin before removing it.

Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

 

Mirabelle plums & vanilla jam

My preferred jam has always been the raspberry one, but since I have explored making jams at home, this one has become another favourite!

Ingredients

for 3 to 5 jars depending on the size

1kg of mirabelles plums, pitted
600g sugar
1 vanilla bean
the juice of one lemon
4g agar-agar

Method

1. Wash, dry, halve plums and remove pits. Place them in a pot (or a jar basin) and sprinkle with sugar. Add the lemon juice, vanilla (seeds and bean) and mix. Allow to rest for one hour at least.

2. Bring to a boil (remove the foam if any) for 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. The jam is ready when the temperature has reached 103-105 ° C (on a sugar thermometer). If you don’t have any just pour a large drop of jam on a cold plate: it should not flow but freeze. If it flows allow the jam to cook for a little bit longer.

3. Pour the hot jam into sterilised glass jars (in the oven at 150 ° C for 10 minutes at least). Cover with lids (also sterilized) and put the jars upside down to get rid of the air. Allow the jars to cool down completely for 24 hours, then store then in a cool dry place.

 

Almond plums tart

This tart is perfect when your fruit are a bit wrinkled and the almond cream combines very well with the plums acidity. Next time I’ll use only red plums for the styling! 

Ingredients

Shortcrust pastry
250g flour
125g sugar
125g butter
1 egg yolk

Filling
about 10-15 plums (I used a mix of plums: damson, greengage, mirabelle, red and golden ones)
100g almond meal
100g sugar
2 eggs

Method

Prepare the shortcrust pastry at least 1 to 2 hours before filling it. The best would be to do it a day ahead.

In a bowl, mix with the butter and sugar. Then add the egg yolk and flour. Don’t knead the dough for too long. Keep in the fridge. When ready to use, roll out on a lightly floured surface until 3mm (1/8 in) thick, line up a 25cm (10 in) tart tin and chill for another 30 min. 

Pre-heat the oven at 180°C/350°F

For the filling: mix the butter with sugar, almond meal and eggs. Prick the pastry base with a fork. Spread the cream and top with the plums halves facing up (as I used a small tart tin, I ended up with too much almond cream and the plums halves sank in the big tart – to avoid it make sure not to over fill with cream as it raises during the baking).

Bake for 30-40min until the almond cream is golden. Allow to cool before serving.

 

Greengage plums tart in motion

Ingredients

Short crust pastry as per the Almond plums tart recipe above.
Filling
about 500g pitted greengage plums (organic is preferable)
1 Tbsp of corn flour
1 Tbsp of sugar (here I used rapadura)
1 Tbsp of almond meal

Method

Prepare the short crust pastry as above. Keep in the fridge. When ready to use, roll out on a lightly floured surface until 3mm (1/8 in) thick, line up a 25cm (10 in) tart tin and chill for another 30 min.

Pre-heat the oven at 180°C / 350°F

Prick the base with a fork. Spread the mix of sugar, corn flour and almond meal. Then place the plums halves in circles starting from the outer edge.

Bake for 25-30 min until golden. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving warm or completely cooled.

 

Another recipe on the blog with plums:

Autumnal crumble (apples, pears & plums)