Seasonal Cooking- Plum Cobbler

Last weekend I was seduced by a stunning display of plums at Borough Market. British plums are currently in season, and are delicious when used in baking. The flavours in this cobbler are kept very simple to allow the natural flavours of the fruit to be the star of the dish. The "cobbles" are a bit like a sweet dumpling and absorb the yummy plum juices that are omitted whilst cooking. Seeing the filling peeking through makes this dessert all the more appetising. I served mine with custard, but some double cream drizzled over would work well too.

Ingredients

For the fruit filling 

1kg British plums

2 heaped teaspoons plain flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

40g Demerara sugar

Zest and juice of one orange

For the Cobbles

150g self raising flour

50g caster sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp baking powder

50 ml milk

30g flaked almonds

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree. Cut the plums in half and remove the stones. Place on a baking tray and sprinkle over the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Grate the orange zest over the top and squeeze over the juice. Bake the fruit for around 30 minutes or until soft.

2. To make the cobbles, place the flour and baking powder into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingers until it resembles bread crumbs. Stir in the sugar and add the milk and egg. Mix thoroughly- the mixture should be stiff but spoonable. 

3. When the fruit is cooked, transfer into an ovenproof serving dish. Seperate the cobble mix into about six pieces and roll up into dumpling like balls. Place these over the fruit, leaving gaps so that the fruit can be seen. Sprinkle over the flaked almonds and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the cobbles are golden brown

Serve immediately with cream or custard.