What to do with pluots...

The cross-pollination of a plum and an apricot, by transferring the pollen from one plant to the other, produces a Pluot. The principle of cross-pollination is used in the production of hybrids such as this delicious fruit. The first thing you will notice is their physical appearance. They look like plums, but their peels are of a different color. Often, there is  a rainbow of orange, pink and red coloration and can be spotted in appearance. Pluots are exceptionally sweet and juicy. They are low in fat and loaded with fiber. Because of their nutritional values, they are great for snacking and for use in the preparation of desserts and jellies.

When my wife and I first saw them, we were mesmerized. We purchased some to experiment with them. My original thought was to make a pluot turnover using puff pastry. I think they would make great pastries. Instead, I made a crust out of a yellow cake mix (which I don’t normally use) and topped with a mixture of apricot preserves and sliced Pluots. The combination turned out great. The preserves were slightly caramelized and the crust was infused with the pluot juices. It almost became a spin-off of the old-fashioned pineapple upside down cake.  The funny thing about this recipe is that we ended up with a hybrid dessert.  The cake was not a cake, but rather a mixture of a cake-pie/fruit-tart.  Warm, fruity, moist and delicious; topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, this dessert deserves a chance in the easy and scrumptious categories.

Ingredients:

4 Pluots, pitted, peeled & sliced

¾ of a cup of apricot preserves

1 tablespoon of rum

1 box of Jiffy yellow cake mix

1 egg

 ½ cup of water

Preparation:

Prepare the cake mix using a ½ cup of water and the egg.  Pour mixture in a greased cast iron skillet and bake at 350F for about 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and with the help of a spoon or a potato masher, push down the center of the cake while warm, to create a pie shell form. In a small container, warm the preserves in the microwave with rum and stir until well-blended. Pour ½ cup on top of the cake and spread out leaving a half inch as a border. Arrange the slices on top of the preserve mixture and brush the remainder of the preserve to coat the fruit. Return to the oven and broil for a few minutes to caramelize the fruit but being careful not to burn the cake.  Remove from oven and serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.  Enjoy!