Plum Cobbler
Serves 4
825g can dark plums in syrup
3/4 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
60g butter, chopped
1 egg yolk, beaten lightly
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped, toasted hazelnuts
icing sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to moderate 180C. Drain the plums over a medium saucepan. Halve the plums and remove the stones. Place plums with syrup in the pan. Bring the mixture to the boil then simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until the plums are soft. Strain and reserve 1/2 cup (125ml) of the syrup. Place the plums and reserved syrup in a small ovenproof dish (4-cup capacity). Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl. Rub in the butter, stir in the egg and enough buttermilk to mix to a soft consistency. Drop heaped teaspoons of topping mixture over the plums, then sprinkle with the nuts. Place the dish on an oven tray. Bake, uncovered, in a moderate oven for about 30 minutes or until browned. Dust with sifted icing sugar and serve with ice-cream or cream, if desired.