Conference turris::cooks

There is a wonderful French dessert called clarfouti (egad! the spelling
is probably way off) that is a kind of custard with fruit....I'll dig
for the recipe tonight...anyway, plums are wonderful for that.


You can blanch, peel, and freeze the fresh ripe plums and use them during
the winter for fruit with dumplings.  Heat fruit, water or juice, and
sugar to taste on the stove and cook until the sugar is dissolved.  Bring 
to a good strong simmer in a cast iron skillet.
Add cinnamon, etc. to taste (depending on the fruit).  Make dumpling
dough using your favorite recipe or the Bisquick mix recipe, adding
a few tablespoons of sugar to make a slightly sweet dough.  While
the fruit is simmering, drop in teaspoons of dough for dumplings.  Do
not crowd the dumplings, so make only as many as the skillet will hold.
Cover and simmer until the dumplings are done (10 -15 minutes).  They
will be fluffy and will cover the top of the fruit.  Remove dumplings
and some fruit and sauce to a bowl.  Serve with a dollup of cream
for a "warm up your toes" dessert/snack.  You can bring the fruit
and sauce to a simmer again and make more dumplings if need be.

You can also make a two crust pie with plums..Peel them and season just
like for apple pie..I've tried it and it is wonderful.  I added tapioca
(quick cooking) to make the juices thicken - instructions are on the box.

    My grandmother makes a good plum cake.  I don't have the recipe,
    but if I were trying to duplicate it, I would try something like
    this.
    
    Make a basic sweet yeasted dough.
    Press it fairly thin (maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch) on a buttered cookie sheet
    with a raised edge; leave it a little higher on the edges.
    Spread some melted butter over the dough.
    Arrange wedges of plum to cover the top of the batter.
    Sprinkle with a little streusel topping -- make by cutting together
    butter, sugar, and flour.  (some coffee cakes have a recipe for
    this).
    Bake about 300 till crust seems cooked and light brown.
    
    If you want I'll ask her for the real McCoy, though.  It is a real
    favorite in our family.  I think she usually uses the narrow dark
    prune plums, but I imagine that other plums would work as well.
    
    Beryl

    purple plum crumble (from food and wine - september 1989)
    
    2 pounds purple plums
    5 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
    5 teaspoons all purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
    pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
    pinch of ground cloves
    4 teaspoons unsalted butter
    2/3 cup rolled oats
    1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
    
    1. preheat the oven to 375of.  in a medium bowl, toss the plums with 2
    tablespoons of the brown sugar and set aside for 15 minutes.
    
    2. on a sheet of waxed paper, toss 2 teaspoons of the flour with the
    white pepper, nutmeg and cloves.  sprinkle the mixture over the plums,
    toss to mix.
    
    3. spoon the plums and any liquid in the bowl into eight 1/2 cup
    ramekins.  set the ramekins of a baking sheet and bake in the middle of
    the oven for 20 minutes.
    
    4. meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter with the remaining 3
    tablespoons brown sugar over moderate heat.  in a food processor,
    combine the oats with the reamining 1 tablespoon flour and the orange
    zest.  pulse for 20 seconds.  pour in the butter and pulse again for 20
    seconds.  
    
    5. remove the ramekins from the oven.  reduce the oven temp to 325of. 
    spoon the oat mixture evenly over the fruit.  return the ramekins to
    the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned
    and the juices are bubbly.  let cool on a rack.  serve the crumbles warm
    or at room temp. with two tablespoons of yogurt on each.
    
    sounds yummy doesn't it?  wish i had a plum tree, they are my favorite
    fruit!
    
    
    cj
    

			NO SUGAR PLUM JAM

	INGREDIENTS
	-----------

	10 cups ripe sweet plums,
	   stemmed, pitted, and quartered

	1 cup concentrated white grape juice
	   (simmer 2 cups white grape juice
	    and cook down by half)

	6 Tablespoons lemon juice

	1 and 1/2 Tablespoons coarsely grated lemon
	   rind (no white pith)

	6 Tablespoons date sugar (optional)

	6 ounces (1 package) liquid pectin

	6 Tablespoons glycerin

	Dash of salt (optional)

	! Tablespoon unflavored gelatin

	INSTRUCTIONS
	------------

	Prepare fruit and place in large, non-aluminum kettle.
	Add juices and rind.  Bring to a boil and simmer, covered
	over low heat until fruit is soft, about 12 to 15 minutes.
	Taste and add the date sugar if desired and stir well.
	Remove from heat, add pectin, glycerin, salt and gelatin,
	stirring to mix.  Return to heat, bring to a rolling boil,
	and boil exactly 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Place in
	sterile 1/2 pint jars, leaving 3/4 inch at the top.  Cap
	with sterile lids.  Process in boiling water batch for 5
	minutes after water returns to a boil.  Makes 11 cups of
	jam.

    Here's one that I got out of the Sunday Newspaper coupon
    section.  Sounds pretty good to me.
    
    
    Apple Plum Crisp -
    
    
    4 cups pared, cored, sliced tart apples
    2 cups sliced pitted plums
    1/2 cup margarine, melted & divided
    1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
    1 tablespoon flour
    1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
    1 cup rolled oats
    1/4 cup chopped walnuts
    1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
    
    
    Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl combine
    1/4 cup melted margarine, 1/4 cup brown sugar, lemon
    juice, flour and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.  Add apples
    and plums.  Toss to coat well.  Place in a 8 x 8 x 2
    inch baking pan.  In small bowl combine oats, 
    remaining 1/4 cup margarine, remaining 1/4 cup brown
    sugar, walnuts, remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamona and
    ginger until well blended.  Sprinkle over fruit.
    Bake 30 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping
    crisp and browned.  Serve warm with softened ice
    cream, if desired.  Makes six servings.
    
    *Or if preferred, use two cups pitted, sliced peaches
     or nectarines.

    
    
    Here's something that I haven't tried yet as our plums didn't produce
    this year.  But it sounds interesting.
    
    PLUM LIQUEUR
    
    1 1/2 lbs fresh plums
    2 cups vodka
    1 1/2 cups sugar syrup*
    pinch of cinnamon
    
    Halve and pit plums and combine in jar with vodka (gin may be used
    also), sugar syrup, and cinnamon.  Cover and invert jar daily until
    sugar is dissolved (about 4 days).  Place in cool, dark place for
    2, preferably, 3 months.  Occasionally shake gently.  Strain. Ready
    to serve.
    
    yield: 3 cups plus                  container: Wide month quart
    jar
    
    *sugar syrup         1 part water to 2 parts sugar.  Boil together
                         for 5 minutes at a full boil and be sure all
                         sugar dissolves.  Cool fully before adding
                         to alcohol mixture.
    
    
    A friend uses this over vanilla ice cream or in hot tea.
    
    Jackie
    
    

    This recipe calls for baby food plums, but you could easily substitute
    pureed fresh plums.  May also want to add a little more sweetener since
    the baby food contains sugar.  For a less dense cake, use only white
    flour.
    
                              PLUM NUTTY CAKE
    
    1 c. sweetener (sugar, honey, etc.)     1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour   
    1/2 c. oil                              1-1/2 c. unbleached white flour
    3 eggs                                  3 t. baking powder
    2-9 oz. jars strained plums             1/2 t. salt
      (baby food)                           1/2 t. cinnamon
    1 c. chopped walnuts                    1/2 t. cloves
                                            1/2 t. nutmeg
    
    
    Combine sweetener, oil, eggs and plums and mix well
    Add flour, baking powder, salt and spices 
    Beat about 4 mins.
    Fold in nuts
    Pour into greased and floured tube pan
    Bake 325 deg., 1 hr.
    
    Variation: omit plums
               add 3 apples, finely chopped
                   1 c. raisins, soaked in hot water 10 mins. (add 
                        soaking water also)