Plum Tray Bake

Australia is just reaching the end of summer and the stone fruit season, so now is the time to make the most of baking with the last of the plums. And plum slice is just the ticket. Actually, I lie. Not about the slice… it’s not the end of summer – it’s well and truly autumn (or fall, whatever you wish to call it). But there is still some nice stone fruit, and still some nice weather.

serve with custard or straight up

Today I went out to a lovely country market about an hour out of Melbourne to buy homemade trinkets and fresh fruit and vegetable. It’s an addiction, I adore markets. Being a lovely 26 degrees (82F) we took the motorbike (I am passenger, not rider, not thy self and thy weaknesses)…

my constant view from the back of the motorbike

And then also decided to go wine tasting. Check. Out. That. View. You can also see my motorbike boots. I’m so bad ass.

How awesome was this Autumn day?? Pretty darn awesome, that’s how awesome.

So farewell summer. It’s time to welcome the first winter I’ve had in a year due to my season skipping when I moved back to Australia from London. It’s time I brushed up on my soup and hot toddies anyway.  Let’s talk slice…

Cut up your plums and make your cream cheese mixture in one bowl, and your flour mixture in another.

This slice is a six layer jobby. Put a flour layer down, then smear the cream cheese layer on top.

Then add your plums.

Then do it all again! Then bake that stuff. Finally, top with icing sugar to make it pretty.

I didn’t make the white chocolate custard, but have included the instructions below. You can either serve this as a dessert with the custard, or enjoy it straight up as I did.

Ingredients
250 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
¼ cup caster sugar
4 eggs
175 grams softened unsalted butter
175 grams brown sugar
200 grams (1 cup) self-raising flour
400 grams plums, stones removed, sliced
Icing sugar, to dust

White chocolate custard
1 cup (250mls) milk
300 ml thickened cream
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons cornflour
½ cup (110 grams) caster sugar
100 grams white chocolate, finely chopped

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C, grease and line an 18cm x 28 cm pan.
2. Add cream cheese, vanilla, caster sugar and 1 egg into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until smooth.
3. Place flour, butter, brown sugar and remaining 3 eggs in a second bowl and beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy.
4. Spread half the flour mixture in the tray followed by half the cream cheese mixture, swirling to gently combine, then top with half the plums.
5. Again, top with remaining flour mixture, cream cheese mixture and plums.
6. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. To serve cold as a slice, wait until  cool, dust with icing sugar. Or…

White chocolate custard

1. Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan over a medium heat to just below boiling point.
2. Whisk together the yolks, cornflour and sugar until combined.
3. Pour the hot cream mixture over the egg mixture.
4. Transfer to a clean saucepan and cook, stirring, over low heat for 4-5 minutes until custard coats the back of a spoon.
5. Remove from heat, add the chocolate and stir until smooth.
6. Dust the plum tray bake with icing sugar then slice and serve with warm chocolate custard.

Quantity: Makes 24

Healthy? The plum slice without the custard is 175 calories a slice.

Gluten free? No, not sure how this would adapt either, sorry.

Storage: You could freeze them, but it might end up a bit soggy. Keeps well in a tin for 2 – 3 days.

Reference: Delicious Magazine, March 2012, p66.