Coffee Plum Bake
Carrie Masek
There's nothing like a mug of hot coffee and a bowl of something sweet and warm on a cold winter morning. Here's a recipe for one of Catie's favorite winter warmers, Coffee Plum Bake. Like most of Catie's recipes, it contains no added sugar and can be made entirely gluten and dairy free.
Enjoy!
Warm Winter Coffee Plum Bake
Time: about 45 minutes (10 min prep, depending on the cling of your plum pits, and 35 minutes bake time)
Ingredients:
Fruit base:
1 kg/ 2 lbs plums
1 T lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 shot espresso or 2 T strong coffee
Streusel topping:
2-4 T oil (coconut oil or butter), plus a little more for the pan
2 rounded tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each of nutmeg, allspice, anise and ginger (optional*)
pinch of salt (optional)
1 C hazelnut flour**
1 C almond flour**
Quick Steps:
1. Oven to 350F/ 180C.
2. Oil/butter small glass bake pan (10x7 or 8x8 inch)
3. Pit plums and cut in halves or quarters.
4. Layer plums in pan and coat with liquid ingredients (lemon, vanilla, coffee)
5. Melt oil in small pot.
6. Add first the spices, blend smooth, then add the flours, blend until coated and clumpy.
7. Spoon the topping over the plums evenly.
8. Bake for 35 minutes.
9. Cool and serve!
Steps in Detail: 1. Turn the oven on to 350 F/180 C. Coat a small glass bake pan (10x7 or 8x8 inch) with oil of choice and set aside. (I often put a bit of butter or coconut oil into the bottom of the pan and let it melt in the oven as it's coming to temp, them spread the oil around the bottom and sides)
2. As the oven warms, pit the plums and cut them into halves or quarters (depending on the size of your plums). Cling pits are harder to remove, and usually need a thick slicing method to remove the fruit from the pit rather than a “pop the pit out” cut around to extract the pit from the fruit.
3. Layer the baking pan evenly with the fruit. This does not need to be precise, I tend to dump and spread.
4. Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the fruit. This also does not need to be precise, as everything mixes in the bottom. You can also give the fruit a stir to increase even coating.
5. In a small pot, melt the oil of choice (amount depends of desired richness and additional spice and/or alternative flours. The topping will hold together with 2T, and won't be too oily with 4T, but much richer. Closer to the 1/4 C is recommended as you increase the amount of spice and if you choose a grain four vs the nut flours, see notes).
6. Add the spices to the melted oil and stir in. Then add the flours and blend thoroughly. The topping should be slightly clumpy, but not super wet and should crumble easily as you stir it.
7. Spoon the topping over the plums evenly, trying to form a complete cover over all the fruit, including corners and crevices.
8. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.
9. Remove and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Bake is done when the topping is toasted on top and the fruit is bubbling around the sides.
10. Serve plain, with yogurt and/or maple syrup if enjoying for breakfast. Also delicious made with decaf espresso or coffee and served a-la-mode for a tasty dessert!
Ingredient Notes:
* The additional spices, outside of the cinnamon, can be optional, but they are delicious and add to the “tastes like Christmas cookies” complexity that I find snuggly-nice this time of year.
** I use nut flours in this recipe to mimic many of the traditional Christmas cookies I make. It also makes the dish gluten-free. This topping can be made with regular/grain-based flours too. If using a grain flour, up your oil a bit as grains are less naturally oily than nuts and will absorb more of the oil. I highly recommend a whole grain flour, to give you some of the nuttiness. Spelt or a whole grain red or white wheat flour would be my top choices. If you don't want nuts or gluten, I love buckwheat flour. If you opt for grain, I'd also recommend adding up to a T of flax seeds, crushed or meal, to give even more nuttiness.
Do you have a favorite baked treat to enjoy on winter mornings? Please join the conversation and share your recipe on the Facebook thread or in a comment on this blog. Or, if you'd like to share your opinions with the wider world, leave us a coffee review on Google or on your favorite review site. Not only do we value your opinions, but reviews help more people find us. Help us connect coffee lovers to fresh, quality coffee!
~ Carrie, Paul and all of us at Coffee by the Roast