River Cottage

This dessert comprises layers of summer plums, brownies and crumble. Pure heaven from River Cottage Veg

Serves 8, with brownies leftover

• 1kg plums, destoned
• Honey
• Star anise
• 1 litre double cream
• 1 litre organic natural vanilla yoghurt

For the brownies

• 250g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 250g dark chocolate (about 70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
• 3 medium eggs
• 275g caster sugar
• A pinch of sea salt
• 125g wholemeal self-raising flour, but white works well too
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the crumble

• 225g plain flour
• A pinch of sea salt
• 200g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 150g caster, granulated or soft light brown sugar
• 75g medium oatmeal
• 75g ground almonds (optional)

1. For the brownies, grease a shallow baking tin, approximately 20 x 25cm, and line the base with baking parchment. Put the butter and chocolate in the heatproof bowl. Set the oven at 180°C/gas mark 4 and put the bowl in it for a few minutes until the chocolate and butter start to melt. Stir, then put back into the oven for a few more minutes to melt completely. Of course, you could melt them together in the traditional way, over a pan of hot water, but it seems a shame not to exploit the warming oven.

2. Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together in a large bowl until combined, then beat the melted chocolate and butter until smooth. Combine the salt with the flour, sift them over the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in with a large metal spoon.

3. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 20-25 minutes; when the brownies are done, a knife or skewer inserted in the centre should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Don’t be tempted to overcook them or they will be dry. Remove the tin from the oven and leave on a wire rack to cool before cutting into squares.

4. For the crumble, sift the flour and salt into a bowl (or food processor). Add the butter and rub in with your fingers (or pulse briefly in the food processor) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the sugar, oatmeal and ground almonds, if using. Squeeze a few handfuls of crumble in your fist to make lumps – it’s nice to have a ‘rocky’ crumble rather than a fine, even-textured one.

5. Spread the mixture out in a baking tin and bake in an oven preheated to 190°C/gas mark 5 for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and crumbly, taking it out a couple of times to give it a good stir. Allow to cool down completely once cooked.

6. Put your plums onto a roasting tray, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with star anise. Place in the oven preheated to 180°C for approximately 10 minutes until soft. Turn off the oven but keep the plums in the oven to keep them warm.

7. Whilst the plums are roasting, whip the double cream with the natural yoghurt. When the plums are done and you’ve whipped the cream and yoghurt, take the plums from the oven, drain the juices from the plums into a pan and reduce further.

8. Layer the sundaes starting with plums, then brownie, then plumbs. Add a layer of cream mixture, top with the crumble and drizzle over the plum syrup from the pan.

Tip: Any leftover crumble can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, or in a cool larder; it will keep for a couple of weeks.