GLUTEN-FREE PLUM PUDDING
A wide variety of plums are grown in Australia now, which makes finding your favourite cultivar a fabulously delicious challenge, whether you like them straight from the fruit bowl, stewed, in cake, or cooked for dessert.
Peak season is January to April. So pick your plum and try this very easy recipe for Gluten-free Plum Pudding.
Despite its simplicity it brings out the pleasure of the plum to the max.
Jan
PLUM PUDDING
Serves 6
3 tablespoons demerara sugar
130 gm butter, softened
130 gm caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
70 gm almond meal
70 gm flaked almonds
6 - 10 firm plums, depending on size, washed, cut in half, pits discarded
Extra flaked almonds
Preheat oven to 140°FF. Generously butter a 23cm round ceramic pie-dish and sprinkle the demerara sugar evenly across the base and sides.
Cream butter and sugar with an electric beater until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating to combine, then mix in vanilla.
Fold through the almond meal, then the slivered almonds.
Place plums cut-side down in the pie dish and smooth the batter evenly over the top, spreading towards the edges and levelling the surface.
Scatter with a handful of extra flaked almonds.
Place on an oven tray in case the plum juice bubbles over, and bake for an hour, or a bit more, until the centre is browned and firm.
Remove the pudding from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes or so. Serve immediately or refrigerate until needed and gently reheat.
To serve, either turn out the pudding then invert carefully onto a serving plate so the flaked almonds are on top or serve straight from the dish into tall glasses. Place a dollop of whipped cream into the bottom of each glass, add generous spoonfuls of pudding and top with scoops of vanilla ice cream.