Plum & Cherry Juice

The brilliant red of both the fruits are such a delight to see in the summers. Unfortunately though if they haven't ripened fully or are not as sweet, especially plums, they are difficult to enjoy.
I had a box of plums that were a little sour so I thought it better to make something I would enjoy out of it. If I had a de-seeder I might have baked something with it. But the seeds are difficult to remove without wasting a part of the fruit. So juicing was the best option. I added cherries for some extra flavour.

You'll need:
7-8 small plums
Handfull of cherries
4-5 tbsp sugar (according to taste)
Water to boil

Wash the fruits and remove the stems. Put them in a saucepan. Take enough water to just cover the fruits in the saucepan and add the sugar. Boil till the fruits are soft enough to remove the seeds.

Don't throw the water it was boiled in.

If it is easy to remove the skin then just remove it through a sieve and add the pulp to the water.
If the skin doesn't come off easily, especially for the cherries, then mix it in a blender and sieve it.

Once it cools down, put it in the fridge to chill. It will serve as a concentrate. Add some cold water in equal parts before serving.

Chewy Oat Cookies with Candied Fruits

I had some candied ginger and cherries from my last holiday that I thought would go well with oat cookies. They made for a nice breakfast.

1 egg (slightly beaten)
1/2 cup of candied cherries and ginger
1/4th cup chocolate chips (optional)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4th cup butter
3/4th cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey
2/3rd cup flour
2 cups (250gm) porridge oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp boiling water

Melt the butter in the microwave and the sugar and syrup. Mix well. Stir in the rest of the dry ingredients, and add the egg at the end.

Arrange spoonful of the batter on a baking tray and bake at 180 deg C for about 20 minutes. (For a crispier cookie, bake at 160 deg C for about 25-30 min.)

Cool on a wire rack. Makes about 12
to 15 cookies. Store in an air-tight container once cool.

Cherry Clafoutis

I got this recipe from the tried and trusted Joy of Baking. Not only did this make a good dessert, but it was also good as a quick breakfast option.


1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tbsp granulated white sugar
3/4 cup (180 ml) milk 
1 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Mix all these ingredients well until the batter is smooth.

For the cherries

1 tin of Cherry filling OR 

If you can find good fresh cherries and have the patience to de-seed them, then get about 

         300 to 400 grams fresh cherries, pitted

         1 tbsp butter

         1 tbsp sugar

In a saucepan, heat the butter on medium heat. Add the cherries and cook for about 2 minutes till they're nicely coated with the butter. Then add the sugar and cook till the cherries start to get syrupy.

Transfer the cherries into a baking dish. Pour the batter over it and bake for about 20 minutes at 220 deg C. The filling will rise so do not open the oven door till the edges/top have browned a little towards the end - or else it will collapse.

Let it cool. Dust the top with some icing sugar. Serve warm or cold.