Why “Plum Swirls”?
“Swirls” suggest a beautiful spiral or roll—something like a Danish or cinnamon roll, but plum-flavored. The spiral reveals layers of dough and plum filling, giving a visual and textural delight: soft dough, sweet fruit, perhaps nutty or creamy elements.
When plum season is at its best, plums offer a balance of tartness and sweetness, color, and perfume. Combined with a sweet dough, spices, and a glaze, you get something spectacular.
Some similar ideas exist, like Plum Swirls with Crumble (a Swiss / European recipe) using a yeast dough, fruit, nut filling, and crumble topping.
FOOBY
Also, there is a Spiced Plum & Sour Cream Swirl Cobble / Traybake which swirls sour cream into plum filling over pastry.
Great British Chefs
But here, I’ll build a recipe combining the best of those ideas, polished and expanded.
🛒 Ingredients (Yield: ~16–20 medium swirls)
Here’s a generous ingredient list. You can scale smaller or bigger as needed.
For the Dough (Yeast‑Risen Sweet Dough)
3 cups (≈ 360 g) all‑purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 packet (≈ 2¼ tsp / 7 g) instant yeast
½ cup (120 ml) warm milk (around 38‑43 °C)
½ cup (120 ml) warm water
2 large eggs, room temperature
⅓ cup (≈ 75 g) unsalted butter, softened
For the Plum Filling / Swirl
6–8 ripe plums (≈ 600–700 g), pitted and thinly sliced or chopped
½ cup (≈ 100 g) granulated sugar, or a mix of sugar + brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch (or flour) to thicken the filling
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of ground cardamom or nutmeg (optional, for warmth)
(Optional) 2 tablespoons plum jam or preserves (for extra glaze)
(Optional) ½ cup ground almonds or almond meal for a nut swirl layer
For the Swirl / Assembly & Topping
Additional softened butter (2–3 tablespoons) to brush on dough before layering filling
Egg wash (1 egg + splash of milk)
Crumb topping (optional):
• ⅓ cup flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cold butter, diced
• A handful of chopped nuts (walnut, almond)
For the Glaze / Finish
1 cup powdered (confectioners’) sugar
2–3 tablespoons milk or cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
(Optional) A spoon of plum jam or apricot jam, warmed and strained, for brushing
🕰 Timing & Workflow
Here’s a rough sequencing plan to stay organized:
Step Time estimate
Mixing dough & first rise ~1 to 1¾ hours
Prepare plum filling ~10–15 min
Roll, assemble, swirl, cut ~20–30 min
Second rise / proof ~30–40 min
Bake ~20–25 min
Make glaze & finish ~5–10 min
Cooling & serving ~10 min
You can also prepare filling ahead, or make dough the night before and refrigerate for slow rise.
👩🍳 Step‑by‑Step Instructions
1. Make the Dough
In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast.
In another bowl or measuring jug, warm milk + warm water (not too hot, ~38‑43 °C).
Add eggs to the warm liquid, whisk lightly to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Mix until roughly combined.
Add the softened butter, a piece at a time, kneading or mixing until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but not sticky. This may take 8–10 minutes by hand or 5–7 min in a stand mixer with dough hook.
Shape into a ball, place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size — about 1 to 1¼ hours.
2. Prepare the Plum Filling
While the dough rises:
In a saucepan, combine sliced plums, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and optional cardamom.
Cook gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the plums soften and the mixture thickens (5–8 minutes). If too thick, add a splash of water; if too thin, add a tiny bit more cornstarch.
Taste and adjust sweetness or lemon. Let cool fully.
(Optional: Stir in plum jam or preserves for extra flavor or sheen.)
(Optional: If using a nut swirl layer, combine ground almonds + a little sugar + a bit of melted butter into a paste.)
3. Roll, Layer & Swirl
Punch down the risen dough and turn out onto floured surface. Roll it into a rectangle (~30×40 cm or so).
Brush the entire surface with softened butter.
If using, sprinkle nut layer (almond paste) over the buttered surface.
Spread the cooled plum filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border edge (~1 cm).
Starting from a long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log (jelly-roll style). Seal the seam well.
Cut the log into 1- to 1½‑inch (2.5–4 cm) thick slices. You should get ~16–20 swirls.
Place the swirls cut side up on parchment-lined baking trays, leaving space between for expansion.
4. Second Rise (Proofing)
Cover loosely (with greased plastic wrap or damp cloth). Let them rise ~30–40 minutes, until puffy but not over-proofed.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180 °C (≈ 350–360 °F) (or adjusted for your oven).
Before baking, brush tops gently with egg wash (egg + milk).
If using crumb topping, sprinkle it on top at this stage.
5. Bake
Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the swirls are golden brown, cooked through, and the filling is bubbling slightly. Rotate the trays halfway through if needed for even browning.
If edges brown too fast, tent with foil.
Once done, remove trays and let swirls cool briefly (~5–10 min) on the baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.
6. Glaze & Finish
While warm, or once cooled slightly:
In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk (or cream), vanilla until smooth. Adjust consistency: should be pourable but slightly thick.
Drizzle or spread glaze over each swirl.
Optionally, brush a bit of warmed plum or apricot jam on top for shine.
Let glaze set before serving.
Dust with extra powdered sugar or sprinkle nuts if you like.
✅ Full Recipe Summary
Ingredients
Dough: 3 cups flour, 2 Tbsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 pkt instant yeast, ½ cup warm milk, ½ cup warm water, 2 eggs, ⅓ cup softened butter
Filling: 6–8 plums, sugar, cornstarch, lemon, cinnamon, optional cardamom, optional jam
Assembly: butter, optional nut swirl, egg wash, optional crumb topping
Glaze: powdered sugar, milk/cream, vanilla
Instructions
Mix dry and wet ingredients, knead dough adding butter, let rise until doubled.
Prepare plum filling: cook plums + sugar + thickener, cool.
Roll dough, butter, add nut swirl (if using), spread plum filling, roll into log, cut into swirls.
Proof swirls ~30–40 min. Preheat oven. Brush with egg wash, sprinkle crumb topping if used.
Bake ~20–25 min until golden and cooked.
Cool slightly, then glaze with sugar-milk-vanilla icing, optionally jam-brush, dust with sugar.
Serve warm or room temperature.
🧠 Tips, Tricks & Troubleshooting
Choose good plums: Firm but ripe plums (slightly underripe) hold shape better.
Thickness of filling: If your plum filling is too watery, the swirls may get soggy. Use the cornstarch (or flour) to thicken. Drain a bit of excess juices if needed.
Temperature balance: Don’t spread very hot filling on the dough — that can melt the butter and make the dough soggy. Let it cool first.
Butter layer: Be generous with the butter base layer — this helps the swirl layers separate and gives richness.
Nut swirl layer: Optional, but adds texture and flavor — almond is classic.
Tight rolling and sealing: Roll firmly but not crushing the dough; seal the seam to prevent filling leakage.
Cutting clean slices: Use a sharp knife or dental floss to slice the log without compressing.
Proofing: Don’t over-proof — swirls should rise but not collapse.
Even baking: Rotate trays if needed; if tops brown too fast, cover loosely with foil.
Glazing while warm helps the glaze soak slightly and set nicely.
Storing: Keep in airtight container at room temp for 1 day; after that, best in fridge (glaze may soften). Warm slightly before serving.
Freezing: You can freeze unbaked swirls (on a tray, then cover), then bake from frozen (add a few minutes to bake time). Or freeze baked, then thaw and warm.
🔄 Variations & Flavor Twists
Almond‑Plum Swirls: Add almond paste or frangipane layer under plum filling (almond + butter + sugar + egg).
Cream cheese swirl: Mix softened cream cheese + sugar + vanilla, layer between dough and plum filling for a creamy counterpoint.
Spice variations: Add cardamom, ginger, allspice, or even a pinch of clove to the plum filling.
Citrus twist: Add orange or lemon zest to plum filling, or a bit of citrus juice.
Berry & plum swirl: Mix some berries (raspberry, blueberry) with plums for a mixed-fruit swirl.
Vanilla or custard base: Spread a thin layer of pastry cream or vanilla custard before the plum filling for richness.
Vegan version: Use plant‑based milk, vegan butter, flax “egg,” and omit nut swirl or use nut butter swirl.
Mini version: Instead of large swirls, make small pinwheel bites or mini rolls.
Streusel / crumble topping: A crumb topping of flour, sugar, butter, nuts, sprinkled before baking adds crisp contrast.
Glaze options: Lemon glaze, cream cheese glaze, or simple sugar syrup + fruit juice.
🍴 Serving Suggestions & Pairings
Serve warm or room temperature. The aroma is part of the charm.
With vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or a scoop of cream or custard.
Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Pair with coffee, tea, or even a dessert wine or port.
On a dessert buffet or brunch, place on a platter for guests to pick.
For a brunch twist, accompany with fresh fruit or yogurt.
📏 Metric / Moroccan Adaptation Suggestions
Use local plums varieties you find — some may be more tart or sweet, so adjust sugar accordingly.
Locally milled flour may behave differently — if dough is too stiff, add a bit extra warm water; if too sticky, add more flour carefully.
Butter quality matters — if possible, use good unsalted butter.
If you can’t find instant yeast, use active dry yeast (proof it in warm water first).
In Morocco, you might find almonds, orange blossom water, or spices (cinnamon / cardamom) — these are excellent additions in the swirl or glaze.
For the glaze, you can substitute milk with cream, or a bit of orange blossom water or vanilla to localize flavors.
🎯 Why This Will Be Irresistible
The visual appeal of the spiral, showing layers of dough and plum, is stunning.
The contrast of soft, slightly chewy pastry, sweet-tart plum filling, buttery richness, and glaze is deeply satisfying.
The aroma of baked plums, cinnamon, vanilla, and butter will draw people in.
The recipe is flexible—you can adapt it to your taste, ingredients, or texture preference.
These swirls travel well, make a beautiful presentation, and work for breakfast, dessert, or snack.
If you like, I ca
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