Honey-Roasted Plums with Mascarpone Cream and Brittle

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Servings:
4

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.

Ingredients

For the Honey Brittle

  • Vegetable-oil cooking spray

  • cup corn syrup

  • cup honey (any type)

For the Roasted Plums

  • ½ cup port

  • cup honey (any type)

  • 1 whole star anise

  • ½ vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and pod reserved

  • 1 strip orange zest (2 inches long)

  • ½ cinnamon stick

  • 3 plums or Pluots, pitted and cut into ½-inch wedges

  • ¼ cup heavy cream

  • ½ 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 Notes

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.

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