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Honey-Roasted Plums with Mascarpone Cream and Brittle

Star anise, orange zest, and cinnamon infuse roasted plums and the vibrant liquid they exude with a panoply of flavors. The tender fruit is juxtaposed against a cloud of whipped mascarpone and shards of honey brittle that shine like jewels.
Martha Stewart Living, September 2008
  • Yield Serves 4
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Ingredients

  • For the Honey Brittle

    • Vegetable-oil cooking spray
    • 1/3 cup corn syrup
    • 1/3 cup honey (any type)
  • For the Roasted Plums

    • 1/2 cup port
    • 1/3 cup honey (any type)
    • 1 whole star anise
    • 1/2 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and pod reserved
    • 1 strip orange zest (2 inches long)
    • 1/2 cinnamon stick
    • 3 plums or Pluots, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
    • 1/4 cup heavy cream
    • 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese

Directions

  1. Make the honey brittle: Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Bring corn syrup and honey to a boil in a small saucepan, and cook until it registers 300 degrees on a candy thermometer (hard-crack stage). Carefully pour honey mixture onto baking sheet, tilting the sheet to spread mixture into a thin layer. Let cool completely. Break brittle into jagged pieces. (Brittle can be stored for up to 2 weeks.)
  2. Make the roasted plums: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine port, honey, star anise, vanilla seeds and pod, orange zest, and cinnamon stick. Place plums in a small ovenproof pan or baking dish, and pour the port mixture over the top. Roast, basting halfway through, until plums soften and liquid has reduced to a syrup, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, then discard whole spices.
  3. Beat heavy cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gently fold in mascarpone. Divide plums among 4 bowls. Drizzle each with syrup from pan. Top each with a spoonful of mascarpone cream and a piece of brittle. Serve immediately.

Cook's Note

Store honey at room temperature for up to 2 years. If it no longer flows freely, place the bottle in warm water; the gentle heat will return the honey to a liquid state.

Recipe Reviews

Reviews (1)

  • chrisbensch
    15 Oct, 2008

    This was so delicious and easy! I didn't get around to making the brittle portion of the recipe, but the rest was scrumptious.