Prunesssssssssss. Delicious, lovely prunes!

Oddly it’s part of one of my favorite deserts from the legendary Brooklyn/NYC restaurant, Frankie’s: Wine Stewed Prunes with Mascarpone. The prunes are simmered away to melty, tender nothingness, seasoned with cinnamon and red wine. Served on top of whipped mascarpone, it’s a symphony (yeah, a bit of hyperbole, but it’s that good!) of texture and flavor. Being the middle of summer, stewed prunes won’t win a lot of friends, so my mind went to what was seasonal: plums. Inky black, swollen with juice, and that gorgeous combination of sweet sweet flesh and bitter skin. I figured roasting them in their own juices with a touch of butter and sugar would be a nice compromise. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

For 4

6 ripe plums, halved and pitted

2 tablespoons sugar

3 teaspoons butter

1 teaspoon orange zest

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups mascarpone

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place the plum halves face up on a silicon pad on a baking sheet. Add 1/2 a tsp of butter on top of each half and sprinkle them with sugar and orange zest. Roast the plums for 15 minutes, or until soft with the juices running. Turn up the broiler for a minute or two, just to crisp up the edges a bit. Meanwhile, whisk the mascarpone to get it soft and smooth. Dollop it onto a small plate. Add three halves of plums to the mascarpone, spoon on a bit of the juices in the pan, and top with a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of orange zest. Enjoy!