Summer Plum Pudding | Fresh Summer Memories

copyright 2012 Art of Living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati
Summers in the mountains of Abruzzo…days that are centered around food…. waking up early to get the best choice of  fresh parsley, peppers and tomatoes.at the market….spending time at the farm picking  fresh plums for tomorrow’s dessert..  a summer plum pudding made with these sweet little plums known in Italy as ‘susine’

(photo credit: www.comune.terranovasappominulio.rc.it)
Summer Plum Pudding
2 lbs fresh plums
8 ounces amaretti cookies
6 crumbled savoiardi or vanilla wafers
2 eggs, beaten till frothy with wire whisk
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup plum jelly or marmalade
(optional-3 tablespoons Gin)
Crumble the amaretti into breadcrumb like crumbs with the help of a food processor, place in a bowl, set aside.  Wash plums, cut in half and take out pit. Place plums  in bowl and mash slightly with fork., add in sugar, amaretti cookies, beaten eggs. Mix well.
Butter 6 mini tart type pans. Sprinkle pan with crumbled savoiardi or vanilla wafers.. Fill with plum mixture and bake in preheated oven for approximately 40 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool and remove from pans.
Dilute marmalade/jelly with gin and spoon on top of individual tarts. Decorate with some small slices of plums and serve.
For more recipes, get your copy of the Gourmand World Award Winning Book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition