Spiced Italian Plums Prunes In Port Recipes

SPICED ITALIAN PLUMS (PRUNES) IN PORT

Steps:

• Cut plums in half and remove pit. Combine sugar, water, orange peel, cinnamon sticks and cloves in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer a few minutes. Add plums, a layer at a time to heat through, about 2 minutes. Remove plums from syrup.
• Pack hot plums into hot pint jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
• Repeat with remaining plums.
• Reheat syrup to a boil. Remove from heat; discard cinnamon sticks. Stir in port.
• Pour over plums, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. (add a few cloves and pieces of orange peel to each jar). Remove air bubbles. Adjust caps.
• Process 20 minutes in boiling water bath.

PARMESAN AND PROSCIUTTO SPICED PLUMS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the port, sugar, cider vinegar, cloves, orange zest, cinnamon, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the prunes; simmer until softened and plumped, about 10 minutes. Allow the prunes to cool in the poaching liquid for 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the prunes to a plate and allow to cool completely.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Using a paring knife, make a slit from stem to tip in each of the prunes. Stuff each with a piece of Parmesan and wrap in a quarter slice of prosciutto. Place the wrapped prunes, seam-side down, on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake until the prosciutto is crispy and the Parmesan is soft and melted, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

ITALIAN FRESH PRUNE PLUM BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Lightly grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add the orange rind and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, cream of tartar and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients and sour cream alternately to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
• Stir in the nuts and plums. Divide the batter between the two loaf pans.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let the pans cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn the loaves out of the pans and cool completely on the rack. Makes 2 loaves.
• Lucy Waverman's Cooking School Cookbook.

SPICY ITALIAN PLUM CAKE

Steps:

• Place plums in large saucepan with about 1 inch of water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, or until soft. Drain and cool.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Butter and flour a 10-inch bundt pan (or tube pan).
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and continue beating until mixture is very light in color.
• Sift flour with spices and soda. Add to butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk. Beat just until ingredients are incorporated.
• Stir in plums and walnuts. Pour batter into pan and bake 1 hour, or until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
• For frosting:.
• Cream butter. Add powdered sugar and cocoa gradually, stirring until well blended. Stir in salt.
• Stir in coffee, a little at a time. Add just enough to make the frosting a spreadable consistency. Beat until fluffy and add vanilla. Frost cake.

PRUNES IN PORT

Steps:

• soak prunes in the port overnight.
• next morning combine everything and simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionaly.
• take out vanilla bean. (You can wash it and use it again).
• bottle, or store in the fridge.

SPICED PRUNES

Steps:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the plums, water, cinnamon, cloves and ginger; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand until cool. Stir in lemon juice. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.