We ushered in the Jewish New Year recently with many of the traditional sweets symbolizing our hopes for a sweet year ahead…
…apples and challah bread dipped in honey, (apples and honey from the wonderful local farmer’s markets), my apple cake, my favorite honey cake, and the pastry/cookies called rugelach, which I haven’t posted as yet but promise I will eventually.
This year I also baked the Plum Crunch you see in the top photo.
You could make it with any plums, but it is especially delicious with the purple prune plums available in September.
The recipe includes creme de cassis liqueur which is made from black currants. The cassis makes the plums taste more “plum-y” (Ina’s words), without making its own statement.
This may become an annual treat along with the rugelach and apple and honey cakes. It’s that delicious! Here’s the recipe…
Plum Crunch (Back to Basics Cookbook, Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten)
(serves 8)
3 pounds Italian prune plums, pitted and quartered
1 and ½ cups light brown sugar, lightly packed
¼ cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons creme de cassis liqueur
For the Topping:
1 and ½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup regular oatmeal (not steel-cut or instant)
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
For the fruit, in a large bowl, combine the plums, brown sugar, flour, and cassis.
Pour the mixture into a 12x 8-inch shallow baking dish.
For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, oatmeal. walnuts, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the plum mixture.
Bake the plum crunch for 40 to 45 minutes, until the plums are bubbling and the top is browned. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream.
