Plum Crumble with Hibiscus Sobolo Syrup and Spiced Custard

Ingredients

• 600 g stewing plums
• 5 tbsp demerara sugar (For cooking the plums)
• salt (A pinch)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (For the plum mixture)
• 0.5 dried hibiscus (The source does not specify a unit)
• 1 cup water
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 2 calabash nutmeg (May substitute with 1/4 tsp nutmeg)
• 200 g butter (Softened, for the crumble)
• 200 g demerara sugar (For the crumble)
• 400 g plain flour (For the crumble)
• 6 eggs (Separated; use yolks for custard (the source does not specify how the whites are used))
• 75 g brown sugar (For the custard)
• 300 ml double cream (For the custard)
• 300 ml whole milk (For the custard)
• 0.5 tsp cinnamon (For the custard)
• 0.25 tsp nutmeg (For the custard)
• demerara sugar (For thickening the hibiscus syrup; amount not provided)
• corn flour (For a slurry to thicken the hibiscus syrup; amount and slurry liquid not provided)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the stewing plums in a saucepan with the 5 tbsp demerara sugar, a pinch of salt, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Cook until the plums are lightly softened but not mushy.

2. 2

   In a separate pan, bring the dried hibiscus, water, ginger, and calabash nutmeg to a boil. The transcript also mentions cinnamon for this syrup, but the source does not specify an additional quantity; use the listed cinnamon if desired.

3. 3

   Cook the hibiscus mixture for 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Strain off the liquid and return it to the pan. Add sugar and a corn flour slurry, then cook until thickened. The source does not provide quantities for these syrup-thickening ingredients.

5. 5

   Stir the thickened hibiscus syrup into the plums, then remove the pan from the heat.

6. 6

   Combine the dry crumble ingredients, then gradually rub in the softened butter with your fingers until the mixture has a sand-like crumb texture.

7. 7

   Transfer the plum mixture to a baking dish and spread the crumble topping over it. Bake until the topping is golden brown; the source gives no oven temperature or baking time.

8. 8

   Separate the eggs. Put the yolks in a bowl and whisk them with the brown sugar until slightly whipped.

9. 9

   Warm the double cream and whole milk with the custard cinnamon and nutmeg to infuse them with the spices.

10. 10

    Temper the egg-yolk mixture by gradually whisking in some of the warm spiced cream mixture.

11. 11

    Return the tempered mixture to the pan over low heat and whisk until thickened. Serve the custard warm with the crumble.

Notes

The source omits the amount of sugar and corn flour for the hibiscus syrup, the syrup slurry liquid, and the crumble baking temperature and duration. It lists six separated eggs but only directs use of the yolks; no use for the whites is stated. The transcript describes adding softened butter, flour, and sugar and assembling the crumble, which supplies these otherwise unstated method details.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• British
• baked
• comfort food
• plum
• hibiscus
• vegetarian