Poached Plum Parfait

/

For the poached plum parfait, thinner-skinned plums such as the yellow ones are excellent if they are at hand, but the local blue prune plums that abound in many parts of Canada at this time of year are equally as good. The plum syrup that enriches this parfait recipe can keep for a month refrigerated.

Ingredients

Plum syrup:

  • 1/2 vanilla bean
  • 1½ cups water
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
  • 2-inch piece lemon peel
  • 1½ pounds (750 grams) small blue plums, halved and pitted

Parfait cream:

  • 1 cup mascarpone
  • ½ cup plain yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 4 sprigs lemon balm or mint

Method

Slit open vanilla bean and, using a small knife, scrape out seeds. Add bean and seeds to a wide pot. Add water, sugar, cinnamon and lemon peel. Bring to boil over high heat and boil for 3 minutes.

Turn heat to low, add plums to simmering syrup and poach until tender (about 10 minutes). Let plums cool in syrup.

Remove 2 cups syrup and bring to boil in a separate pot. Boil for about 8 minutes or until the syrup coats the back of a spoon. It thickens as it cools.

Combine mascarpone, yogurt and honey. Place a spoonful of plums in the bottom of each of 4 parfait glasses. Drizzle over some syrup. Top with a layer of mascarpone cream. Repeat layers. Top with a sprig of lemon balm, another syrup drizzle and serve with a fancy cookie. Serves 4 to 6.