PLUM CRISP

Today I am sharing my special Plum Crisp recipe with a crunchy and buttery toasted coconut, pecan and oat topping.  This recipe was inspired by a cobbler recipe that a friend of mine shared with me a few years ago, and I have used the plums from our backyard. We live very close to the mountains and just love it, but this close proximity brings unpredictable weather year round that includes very strong winds. We planted several fruit trees in our backyard when we moved here. Sometimes the winds were so hard on the poor young trees that I thought they would never make it. Luckily the trees have survived the harsh weather, and except for the cherries that we seem to have planted to provide nourishment for the flock of robins in our area, we have been getting a variety of delicious fruit every year, some years better than others.

This is a very simple dessert that is delicious with a gorgeous red ruby color.  To begin making my Plum Crisp, I add sugar, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and sliced pitted plums to a heavy bottomed 2-qt saucepan and give it a good stir.  I let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

During this time I stir the mixture a few more times.  Gradually the juice from the plums and sugar form a natural syrup.

I  slow boil the sliced plums in the natural syrup.  The sweet and fragrant aroma of the plums fills the room a few minutes into cooking. Let it slow boil for 20 minutes until the syrup thickens, stir it several times so it doesn’t burn.  The syrup thickens without adding any extra agents.

I chill the thickened plums and syrup mixture before adding the topping. This prevents the topping from sinking into the hot syrup and the color stays ruby red and gorgeous.  Pour the plum and syrup into an 8x8x2 heatproof dish and chill for couple of hours, the syrup will thicken even more as it cools

Take the chilled pan out of the fridge, preheat the oven and start making this special topping with coconut flakes, pecans, oats and butter

Add the topping and bake until golden brown and crunchy.

And there you have it, a glorious ruby red plum with crunchy and buttery toasted coconut, pecan and oat topping. Cool the Plum Crisp on a rack for 20 minutes.

Serve the Plum Crisp with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!!

PLUM CRISP

 

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Cook time

30 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

The fruit part of this crisp recipe can be cooked ahead, and needs to be chilled for at least 2 hours before adding the topping.

Author: Homa

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 5-6

Ingredients

• 5 cups (about 2 pounds) fresh ripe plums with skin, pitted and sliced ½-inch thick
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
• THE TOPPING
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup quick-cooking oats
• ½ cup packed sweetened coconut flakes
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅓ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 3 ounces sweet butter, melted

Instructions

1. Add the sliced plums, ¾ cup sugar, and 1 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice to a heavy bottomed 2-Qt saucepan and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes until natural fruit syrup forms. Stir occasionally.
2. Heat the plum and sugar mixture until it boils. Reduce the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the syrup thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Stir occasionally so the syrup does not burn.
3. Remove from heat. The syrup will thicken further as it cools. Transfer the plums to a heatproof 8x8x2 glass baking dish and chill uncovered for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F
5. Bring the cooked plums to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before baking, so the glass dish does not crack when you place it in the hot oven.
6. To prepare the crisp topping, in a medium bowl add the flour, brown sugar, oats, coconut flakes, salt, cinnamon powder and chopped pecans. Mix with a fork to blend.
7. Add the melted butter and toss with the fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
8. Sprinkle the topping over the plums and bake for 30 minutes until golden brown, and the fruit juices begin to bubble and surface on the sides. Remove from the oven and cool over rack for 20 minutes.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

Sliced frozen plums may be substituted for the fresh plums. You do not need to thaw them. just add sugar and proceed with the directions for fresh plums. If there are pieces of ice stuck to the fruit, briefly run warm water over them to get rid of the surface ice before adding sugar.

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