June 13, 2024

Plum and Almond Pudding Recipe

Plum pudding is a lovely holiday dessert, but what do you make when you want to have a dessert with plums in it not at Christmas time? Plum and Almond Pudding! Plums are such a delicious summer treat and the almond flour adds a lovely nutty taste to the pudding. With this recipe, you will be enjoying a warm plum and almond pudding all year round!

In this recipe, you will learn how to make a lovely plum and almond pudding.

What is Plum and Almond Pudding?

What is Plum and Almond Pudding?

Plum and almond pudding is a dessert that combines the flavours of plum and almonds into a lovely, baked dish. This dessert differs from traditional British plum pudding because this plum and almond pudding features fresh or dried plums. It also has ground almonds or almond extract which results in a lighter and more modern dessert.

Plum and almond pudding is a delicious and versatile dessert that highlights the complementing flavours of plums and almonds. Because it is relatively simple to prepare, it can be adapted to various dietary needs and preferences.

Plum and Almond Pudding Variations

This dessert can be easily adapted to suit other dietary needs or preferences.

Gluten-Free: substitute all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend or use more almond flour.
Dairy-Free: use dairy-free butter and substitute milk or cream with almond milk or another plant-based milk.
Additional Fruits: add other fruits like peaches, apricots, or berries for a different flavour profile.

Do I Have to Garnish with Almond Flakes or Plums?

No, you do not. The purpose of the almond flakes is to make the appearance of the plum and almond pudding nicer. However, if you forgot to get the almond flakes, leaving them off of the dish will not alter the taste at all.

The extra plums on top of the cake batter is also for appearances. The pudding will taste lovely without them on top but having them makes the overall presentation more appealing.

Do I Have to Use Ripened Plums for My Plum Pudding?

Yes, your plums must be ripe. If they are not the plum pudding will be incredibly bitter. I made this mistake once thinking that the sugar and the baking of the dish would sweeten the plums, but that did not happen at all. Even after baking the pudding, the plums came out incredibly bitter and made the plum part of the plum pudding really sour and inedible.

See below for tips on how to ripen your plums at home.

How Do I Know if My Plums are Ripe?

Knowing if your plums are ripe is important for ensuring they are sweet, juicy, and full of flavour. This recipe uses red plums. There are a few ways that you can determine if your plums are ready and ripe to eat.

Texture: Gently press the plum with your thumb. Ripe plums should give slightly under pressure but not be too soft or mushy. They should feel firm but give slightly. The skin of a ripe plum should be smooth and slightly tender. Wrinkled skin can indicate overripe fruit, while hard and unyielding skin suggests the plum is still unripe.

Colour: plums come in various colours, including red, purple, yellow, and green. Check the specific variety you have, as the colour change can indicate ripeness. For example, red plums should be a deep red, while yellow plums should be a vibrant yellow.

Aroma: ripe plums will have a sweet, fragrant aroma. If you can smell the fruit’s sweetness without having to hold it close to your nose, it is likely ripe.

Weight: ripe plums will feel heavier for their size due to their high juice content. Pick up a few plums of similar size and choose the heaviest ones.

Taste: if you are still unsure, you can cut open a plum and taste it. A ripe plum should be juicy and sweet with a slightly tart edge, depending on the variety.

Appearance: some plums have a natural powdery coating known as “bloom.” This is a good sign that the plum has not been over-handled and is fresh. The bloom should be present but not excessive. look for even coloration without too many green spots (unless the variety is green when ripe). Uneven coloration might indicate that the plum is not fully ripe.

Ripening Your Plums at Home for Your Plum Pudding

If your plums are not quite ripe, you can ripen them at home. However, if you try to make this recipe with non-ripened plums, the plums can make the pudding too sour to eat.

Room Temperature: place the plums in a single layer on a pan at room temperature away from direct sunlight. Then they should ripen in a few days.
Paper Bag: to speed up the ripening process, place the plums in a paper bag. Adding a banana or an apple to the bag can help release ethylene gas, which accelerates ripening.

Storage

Ripe Plums: once your plums are ripe, store them in the refrigerator to slow down the ripening process. They should keep for several days to a week.
Unripe Plums: keep unripe plums at room temperature until they reach the desired ripeness.

With these methods, you can ensure that your plums are perfectly ripe and ready to enjoy, whether you are eating them fresh, baking, or making dishes like plum and almond pudding.

Ingredients

Plums: ripe, fresh plums are the best to use in this recipe but dried plums (prunes) are also an option. The fresh plums should be pitted and sliced.

Almond Flakes: almond flakes are used for texture and a lovely garnish.

All-Purpose/Plain Flour: all-purpose flour is used as the structure of the mixture.

Almond Flour: almond flour is used to add a rich and nutty flavour to the pudding.

Granulated Sugar: granulated sugar is used to sweeten the pudding.

Brown Sugar: brown sugar sweetens the pudding and adds a deep, molasses flavouring to it.

Lemon Zest: lemon zest adds a concentrated lemon flavour.

Unsalted Butter: unsalted butter helps to create a tender texture.

Eggs: the egg acts as a binding agent and provides structure.

Baking Powder: baking powder is the leavening agent for the pudding to rise slightly.

Dash of Cinnamon: a dash of cinnamon just adds a bit of flavour and warmth to the pudding.

Tips

Make sure that your plums are not too sour. If they are, it can cause the whole dish to be inedible.
Place plums on top of the almond batter under the almond flakes for a nicer presentation.
Use a pie dish if no 9×5 pan is available for you to use.
The batter on top can bake quite quickly at first. Let it brown (approximately 20 minutes) and then tent aluminum foil on top to keep it from burning.