If an apple a day, keeps the doctor away — then surely this adage can apply to plums. This nutritious fruit boasts its own healthy merits. Plums are rich in protein, low sugar, contain fiber that is healthy for colons. It includes a host of essential amino acids (ones the body cannot synthesize). They’re also an excellent source of Vitamin K and Iron, potassium and magnesium that help with lowering blood pressure. The high fiber content is good for the gut and keeps the colon healthy. Nurses offer this as a prune juice, prune dessert, or a snack.
Plums come in over 2000 varieties and colors — ranging from peacock purple (Damson) and reddish tones (Satsuma and Victoria) to yellow (Mirabelle) and green (Greengage) — virtually a rainbow.
When baking this nutritious drupe, pick them with a little firmness, but not too hard. Ensure that there are no bruising or breaks on its skin. They usually have a dusty whitish coating to them, a good telltale sign they have been least handled and fresh.
I like to make plum tarts, tortes, and pies for desserts. It goes well with any meal plan and versatile with any dessert wine from a Sauterne to Port.
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ to 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt (optional)
- 2 eggs
- 24 halves pitted purple plums
- Sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon, for topping
PREPARATION
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut the plums in half and place them in a bowl. Zest with some lemon rind (1/4 tsp) and juice from half of a lemon. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and mix well. Sprinkle with some cinnamon to taste. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let it stand.
- In a mixing bowl, combine 3/4 cup of sugar and a 1/2 cup of softened butter.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well.
- Spoon the batter evenly into a 10-inch springform pan.
- Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter.
- Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired.
- Serve lukewarm by itself plain or with whipped cream, Creme Anglaise, or a scoop of Vanilla ice cream.
Delicious Postscripts
- Experiment with the varieties as each imparts a different taste after cooking due to their sugar content and defining profile flavors. Greengage has a honey flavor, Victoria for its sweetness, Satsuma for milder sweet taste and Damson for an astringent aftertaste.
- Plums and prunes are rich in Vitamin K. If you are on a blood-thinning drug, take caution because Vitamin K can lessen warfarin’s effectiveness. The recommended intake level of vitamin K for adult men is 120 micrograms (mcg), and for adult women, it’s 90 mcg.
- A 100 mg plum (large plum) has approximately 6.4 mcg of Vitamin K.