My Wednesday night dinner pals still had not met the newest member
of our family, sweet little Faye, so I hosted dinner to
arrange a rendezvous. She, of course, stole everyone’s heart and behaved quite nicely.
She is cute…but very frisky!
I made Chicken Marsala, but
the hit of the evening was the plum torte that Foodie brought for dessert. Apparently, it is the most searched and
requested New York Times recipe....one
taste and you will understand why.
This recipe reminds me a lot of the pistachio apricot cake I
made a little while ago….a no-frills cake that is gussied-up with plum halves then
sprinkled with fairy dust (a cinnamon/ sugar mixture) before baking so that the oven can coax it’s caramelizing magic. I love that word – magic – it reminds me of
one of my favorite movies ever, Sleepless in
Seattle.
A few words about plums…they come in a panoply of colors and varieties and
are a member of the prune family. They
are high in fiber, a natural antioxidant and help the body to absorb iron. They
contain potassium, a mineral that helps manage high blood pressure and reduce
stroke risk. Studies also suggest that plums
lower the risk of age-related macular degeneration. Delicious and good for you!
Original Plum Torte
From: New York Times September 21, 2005
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
24 halves pitted purple plums
Sugar and cinnamon for topping.
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream sugar and butter in a bowl. Add flour, baking
powder, salt and eggs, and beat well.
3. Spoon the batter into a spring form of 8, 9 or 10 inches.
Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with
sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon
of cinnamon.
4. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Remove and cool; refrigerate
or freeze if desired (but first, double-wrap the tortes in foil, place in a
plastic bag, and seal). Or cool to lukewarm, and serve.
Heavenly..simply heavenly. It's easy to make and a pretty dessert for a pot-luck or dinner party contribution.
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