Five Festive Recipes Using Plums

Maybe it’s the “visions of sugar plums” line in The Night Before Christmas, but plums just feel festive. Plus, they can be incorporated into both sweet and savory dishes. Here are five festive plum dishes you can whip up this holiday season.

Basil-Plum Pork Chops

(image via the kitchn)

For this recipe from The Kitchn, the sweetness of the plums combined with fresh basil makes for a pork chop jam-packed with flavor. Oh, and the best part? It can be thrown together in one pan, making clean-up a breeze.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 medium bone-in center-cut pork chops (about 1¾ pounds)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 1 pound medium plums (about 4), pitted and cut into 1⁄2-inch thick slices
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp packed light or dark brown sugar, plus more as needed
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400° F.
2. Heat oil in a large cast-iron skillet or oven-safe frying pan over medium-high heat until very hot and almost smoking. Meanwhile, pat pork chops dry with paper towels. Generously season all over with salt and pepper. Add pork to the pan and sear undisturbed until golden brown on the bottom, 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a large plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium, then add shallots. Season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add plums, vinegar, tamari or soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp brown sugar and stir to combine. Place pork chops browned-side up over the plums and add any juices accumulated on the plate.
4. Roast until the pork registers 145° F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each chop, 6-10 minutes, depending on the thickness. Transfer pork chops to serving plates. Add butter to the pan and stir until fully melted. Taste the sauce and season with more sugar and salt as needed. Sprinkle with basil and serve the plum sauce over the pork chops.

Fresh Plum Pie

(image via food.com/izy hossack)

What good is a sweet fruit if you can’t put it in a pie? And better yet, this plum pie recipe from Food.com is one of the easiest fruit pies you can make. Top with whipped cream or ice cream to complete the dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 unbaked pie crusts
• 2 pounds plums
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp butter

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.
2. Place one pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish.
3. Wash plums; do not peel. Cut plums in half, remove pits, then cut into quarters.
4. Arrange plums in the pie crust.
5. Mix together dry ingredients, then sprinkle over plums. Dot with butter.
6. Place top crust over plums. Trim crust edges with enough to turn under, then crimp edges.
7. Cut about six 1-inch slits into the top of the pie.
8. Bake for 12 minutes. Reduce heat to 325° F, then bake 25 minutes longer or until plums are tender.
9. Let pie cool. Serve warm or cold.

Plum Crumble Cookie Bars

(image via meals, heels and cocktails)

A cookie bar topped with fresh plums and a delightful crumb topping? Yes, please! Much like our fresh plum pie, since the plums don’t need to be peeled, this recipe from Meals, Heels, and Cocktails comes together just as easily. These cookie bars are a simple, festive dessert for any get-togethers you may attend this holiday season.

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

• 3 cups chopped plums (about 5)
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp cardamom or ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger (optional)
• Pinch of salt

For the Crust and Crumble:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup Country Crock Plant Butter with avocado oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

For the Filling:

1. Toss plums with sugar, cornstarch, spices, and salt; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Cut enough parchment so ends overhang on two sides so you can easily lift the bars out after they’ve cooled.

For the Crust and Crumble:

1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Cream plant butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Beat in vanilla. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
2. Reserve ¾ cup dough. Press remaining dough firmly into prepared pan. Spread plum mixture evenly over crust. Crumble reserved dough over plums.
3. Bake 50 minutes or until fruit is bubbling and top is golden. Cool completely on wire rack. Grasp ends of parchment and lift crumble from pan. Slice into 16 bars.

Grilled Chicken and Plum Skewers

(image via delightful e made)

If you’re like us, you aren’t afraid to fire up the grill on a cool day – especially when you’re about to enjoy seasoned chicken with sweet, fresh plums, grilled to perfection. And like the rest of our recipes, this dish from Delightful E Made is easy to throw together.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4-5 large plums, rinsed and quartered
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat grill.
2. In a small bowl, combine garlic salt, oregano, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Stir to combine. Set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, add chicken pieces. Evenly sprinkle half of the spice mixture over chicken. Stir to coat. Evenly sprinkle the other half of spice mixture and stir again to evenly coat. Rinse and quarter plums.
4. Using metal grilling skewers, add a piece of plum for every three pieces of chicken.
5. Turn your grill to medium heat. Place skewers evenly on grill and cook 10-12 minutes, turning halfway. Let cool for just a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Maple-Roasted Plums

(image via a red spatula)

If you’re expecting a lot of guests and want to whip up a simple, delicious dessert while simultaneously making your home smell incredible, our solution is to roast some plums and serve them with ice cream. Check out this recipe from A Red Spatula.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 plums
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Cut plums in half, then remove pits. Pour onto baking sheet.
3. Add maple syrup, vanilla, and salt into small bowl or jar. Mix.
4. Pour maple syrup over the plums, making sure the maple syrup mix covers everything.
5. Place in oven and roast for 15-30 minutes. Test the plums with a fork. You want them to be tender but not mushy.
6. Remove from pan and enjoy!