Simple but effective!
Hello! I hope you are all having a fabulous week and a great start to December! Whether you are joining in with all the seasonal festivities or not this month, I am sure you can enjoy all the different foods that this month brings! Likely you have seen parsnips, brussels sprouts, satsumas, cranberries and a whole plethora of other tasty ingredients flying into your local stores. Today however, I am focusing on the plum. You might say, ah plums… plum pudding? Or you might be puzzled by ‘plum pudding’ – well, that’s just a traditional name for Christmas Pudding in the UK.
The Plums Recipe
This is probably the easiest dessert recipe you could make – short of serving up a peeled banana! Now, as many of these recipes do, this recipe was made out of necessity. Not necessity in that I needed a dessert (although you could argue that)!, but necessity in that as you probably know I hate food waste, and I found a bag of plums (or two) at the bottom of the fridge and thought what could I do with those?! Of course, I could have made a crumble, but I wanted something which could be used for breakfast, lunch or dinner and so, this ridiculously easy recipe was created!
As this recipe is so very simple, I will literally just add the instructions here rather than making a recipe card for it. It is quite difficult to get wrong as all you need are plums, water and spice! You can of course really easily elevate this by your accompaniments or indeed if you are making these for something special – you could swap your water for something more ‘seasonal’! Ooo, now I’ve just given myself an idea as the milkman delivered a lovely bottle of alcohol-free mulled wine – that will be for my next batch!
So, wash your plums and remove any stalks. Place in a flat-bottomed ovenproof bowl – pack them all in next to each other (the right way up), then add cold water so it comes about 1cm up the plums. Now sprinkle with your favourite seasonal spices. You can use mixed spice as I did, or use cinnamon, nutmeg or even ginger. For every 5 plums, you need around 1/2 a teaspoon of spice in total. Now all you need to do, is pop it in the oven on a medium heat for around 25-30 minutes. You can cook them for longer if you would prefer them a bit softer – especially if they are on the larger side. Carefully remove from the oven, spoon some of the residual juice over the top and serve!
What do I need?
Hopefully you already have everything you need for this recipe, but in case you’re new to baking and cooking, or just want a refresh, here are a few items you might like. These links will take you straight to Amazon where you can then search as usual for anything you need. If you follow these links, Amazon might pay us a small commission, which goes towards paying the website hosting fees. We’d be very grateful if you do, thank you! Have a look at these: baking trays, ovenproof glass dishes, oven gloves, individual serving dishes and dessert spoons, along with other items which you might need. Much appreciated!
Serving
Serve your spiced plum as they are, adding a little bit of the sauce over the top. Add a side of yogurt – thick coconut yogurt goes really well with these, or add a scoop of ice-cream, a drizzle of pouring cream or even whip up some custard and pour over the top. Of course, you could also sprinkle with chopped nuts or throw on a small handful of granola too. What you serve your plums in as almost as important as what you serve them with! You could really make a statement by serving in a tall stemmed crystal glass, or placing one in the centre of a white plate and dotting the sauce around the outside.
Storing
The cooked plums will store covered in the fridge for up to five days. If they look a bit wrinkly, just turn them around in the juice until they look plump again. You can eat them cold, or gently reheat with a splash of water in the oven or in a shallow pan. It is best to eat these fresh rather than freeze them as their consistency will change once defrosted and they may not hold their shape.
Sharing
I hope you will make these so they are in the fridge for next time I visit! Haha – honestly though, these are a really quick and easy dessert, breakfast or even snack to whip up without taking time away from your guests. Let me know if you’re using water, juice or something stronger and what you are serving them with.
As always, I love hearing about any recipes of mine you try, any ideas you adapt or suggestions you have for future recipes. Please share and tag me @LifeDietHealth or using #LifeDietHealth on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook or X.
Leave me a comment below… I love to chat!
I hope to speak with you soon
Laurena x
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