Recipes on this page:

Sage Plum Sauce     Plum Torte     Wine-Poached Plums     Plum Pecan Bars     Plum Sauce     Plum Pie     Dutch Plum Cake

Sage Plum Sauce (return to top)
-Brian N.

• 1 c. white wine (I used a dry, non-buttery/oakey, very fruity  Chardonnay)
• 2 tbsp. shallots, chopped
• 1 c. chicken stock
• 1/4 c. finely chopped sage
• 1/2 c. plums, seeded and pureed
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp. brandy

Reduce the wine with the shallots. Add the chicken stock and continue  to boil. Meanwhile, caramelize the sugar with the vinegar. Add to the  chicken stock. Then add pureed plum, sage, and brandy. Let boil and adjust seasoning and consistency.

Plum Torte (return to top)
-Lisa H.

• 1 stick unsalted butter — softened
• 3/4 cup sugar — PLUS 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup unbleached flour — sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• pinch salt
• 24 halves Italian plums (prune or purple) — pitted
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350
Cream the butter and the 3/4 c. sugar. Add the flour, baking powder, eggs, and salt and beat to mix well.
Spoon the batter into an ungreased 9 or 10-inch springform pan. Cover the top with the plums, skin sides down. Mix the cinnamon with the 2 T. sugar and sprinkle over the top.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired.
To serve, let the torte return to room temperature and reheat at 300 until warm. if desired. Serve plain or with vanilla ice cream. Serves 8.

Wine-Poached Plums (return to top)
(4 servings)

• 2 c. white port wine (or red, if you prefer)
• 1/3 -½ c. sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 12 medium plums

Combine wine, sugar and cinnamon in medium saucepan.
Heat to boiling, add plums, and reduce heat to low.  Simmer gently, covered, for 10-15 minutes or until tender.
Remove plums to serving dish.
Bring poaching liquid to a boil over high heat.  Boil gently 12-15 minutes or until slightly thickened.  
Serve over plums.

Plum Pecan Bars (return to top)
-Sharon
BASE:

• 1⅓ cups flour
• ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ⅓ cup butter, softened
• ¼ cup ground pecans

TOPPING:

• 10 plums, sliced (Vanette)
• ⅓ cup light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1½  tablespoons flour
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg
• ¾ cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350º.  Grease 13”x9” pan.  In medium bowl, blend base ingredients with pastry blender until crumbly.  Press mixture into prepared pan.
In same bowl, combine all filling ingredients except plums and pecans; blend well with a fork.  Pour a little filling over unbaked crust and spread with the back of a spoon.  Arrange plum slices in 5 rows.  Add pecans to topping mixture and pour over plums.  
Bake 30 minutes until light golden brown.  Turn off oven and leave pan inside until cool to “dehydrate” the fruit a little more.  If still soggy, reheat oven to 200º and put pan back in for another hour, turn off and leave in until cool again.  Cut into bars (for cookies) or squares (and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream).

Plum Sauce (return to top)
(sweet/sour…great for use with Chinese foods, roasted meat, and poultry)

• 8 small prune plums (about ½ lb.), pitted and quartered
• 3 quarter-sized slices of peeled fresh ginger
• 1 T. brown sugar (or more, to taste)
• ¼ t. salt (or more, to taste)
• ¼ c. water
• ½ t. cornstarch

Combine plums, ginger, brown sugar, salt, and water in small saucepan.
Bring to boil, stirring frequently until sugar dissolves
Reduce to low heat, cover and simmer about 10 minutes, until plums are soft
Remove ginger
Dilute cornstarch into 2 T. cold water, then stir into plum mixture
Continue cooking over low heat until sauce thickens slightly (about 1 minute)
Remove from heat, and adjust flavor with sugar and salt if you wish.
Serve warm
Makes about ¾ cup

Plum Pie (return to top)

• 3 ½ c. pitted prune plums
• ½ c. sugar
• ¼ c. flour
• ¼ t. salt
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 2 t. melted butter or margarine
• One 9” unbaked pie shell

Crumb topping:

• ¾ c. flour
• ½ c. sugar
• 1/3 c. butter or margarine

Cut plums in half, remove pits, and cut into quarters.
Combine sugar, flour and salt;  add to plums
Add lemon juice and butter.  Mix lightly.
Spoon into pie shell.  Sprinkle on crumb topping.
Crumb topping:   Sift together flour and sugar.  Cut in butter to make fine crumbs
Bake in preheated 425 oven for 10 minutes, then reduce oven to 350 and bake until filling is tender, about 20 minutes.


Dutch Plum Cake (return to top)
(serve warm, topped with whipped cream or ice cream, if you like!)

• 1 1/8 c. sugar
• ¼ c. flour
• ¼ c. butter or margarine
• 1 ½ c. sifted flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• ½ t. salt
• ½ t. grated lemon rind
• ¼ c. shortening
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 c. milk
• 1 T. melted butter or margarine
• 12 to 16 ripe prune plums (quantity may vary according to size of plums)
• 1 T. lemon juice

Mix together ¾ c. sugar and ¼ c. flour.  Cut in butter to make fine crumbs; set aside.
Sift 1 ½ c. flour with baking powder, salt and 6 T. sugar.  Add lemon rind; cut in shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Add egg and milk; stir just to moisten.  
Spread dough evenly in 8 X 8 greased pan.  Brush with butter.
Cut plums in half, remove pits.  
Press four rows of halves, skin side down, on dough, letting them overlap a little.  Leave some space between rows.
Sprinkle with lemon juice, and then top with sugar-flour-butter mixture.
Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.
(Substitute 4 apples, peeled and sliced, or 6 peaches, peeled and pitted, for plums)