Stewed Plums in Honey with Cinnamon Ice-Cream
Submitted by DRSTEVE
A Swiss showstopper: fresh plums caramelized in red wine, kirsch, and honey with pine nuts and pistachios, topped with homemade cinnamon ice cream. Serve warm or cold.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
3 hrsThis is the dessert you bring out when you want the table to go quiet for a moment.
Fresh plums get caramelized in sugar, then simmered in red wine and kirsch with dark honey, creme de cassis, pine kernels, and pistachios. The sauce reduces to a glossy, ruby-red syrup with layers of boozy warmth.
Then there’s the homemade cinnamon ice cream: a proper custard base infused with a real cinnamon stick and vanilla bean, frozen until it’s dense and creamy.
Spoon the warm plums into a bowl, set a scoop of that spiced ice cream on top, and watch it melt into the sauce. Garnish with fresh mint and take a bow.
Chef Tips
- When making the custard, stir constantly over low heat. The moment it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, pull it off. Boiling will scramble the egg yolks.
- Caramelize the sugar before adding the plums. That bitter-sweet base layer gives the sauce its complexity.
- The plums work beautifully warm or cold, so make them ahead for a dinner party and reheat gently, or serve chilled on a summer evening.
Ingredients
Directions
Ice-cream: In a small saucepan combine milk, cream, cinnamon and vanilla bean, bring to a boil. In a bowl beat egg yolks and sugar until light and lemon-colored. Gradually stir in the hot liquid. Return to pan. Over low heat beat until cream thickens. DO NOT BOIL !! Remove spices, let cool, freeze.
Plums: Wash, halve and pit the plums. In a saucepan caramelize sugar. Add plums and stir well. Moisten with wine and kirsch. Add pine kernels, pistachio nuts, honey and liqueur. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain plums, collect juice. Transfer to a small saucepan, add lemon juice and boil sauce down to half its volume. Return plums to sauce and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Serving: Arrange plums and sauce in a soup plate. Top with cinnamon ice-cream and garnish with fresh mint. The plums can be served warm as well as cold.
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