Sweet tart and juicy describes this honey-roasted plum mousse perfectly! Roasted plum puree gets combined with an Italian meringue and heavy cream to make this decadent dessert.
But, THE PLUMS!!!
They’re the underdog in this stone fruit game and I refuse (REFUSE!) to enter September without them.
Thankfully the farmer’s markets here are brimming with them, so it looks like we can go ahead as scheduled. But whew. That was close.
Everyone’s all a-chatter right now about “finding the perfect peach” and “aren’t they so good”. Blah blah blah.
Okay, I like a perfect peach as much as the next girl, BUT. I love a perfect plum so much more.
And PLUOTS! If I could go back and marry the person who first told a plum and an apricot to get a room….I would. Sorry husband. #truthhurts.
Plums sometimes get lost in the end-of-summer early-fall shuffle, so I try to be conscientious about giving them some spotlight time every year.
Today they’re shining bright like a diamond in this honey-roasted plum mousse!
Think light, fluffy, rich, juicy, sweet, tart, everything-you-want-late-summer-to-taste-like.
But better.
Basically, a stint in the oven helps dry the plums out a bit and concentrate their flavor. Then, they’re folded into an Italian meringue along with whipped heavy cream and left to chill in the fridge overnight. The next day, top with whipped cream for daintiness. And make sure to revel a bit in all the plum glory.
- 3 red plums, halved and pitted
- 2 tbsp (40 g) honey
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 large egg whites
- ⅔ cup (130 g) sugar
- pinch of cream of tartar
- 2 tbsp (30 g) water
- 1 cup (240 g) heavy cream, divided
- Heat oven to 300F.
- Place the plum halves in a shallow baking dish, cut side up. Drizzle with honey and top with the thyme sprigs. Roast for 30-35 minutes, or until the plums are soft and have started to release their juice.
- Remove the thyme sprigs and blend the plums in a food processor, along with any liquid they have released. Blend until very smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on the solids so that they liquids pass through. Discard the solids. Measure out 1 cup of the puree and set aside. Reserve extra puree for another use.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, 1 tbsp of sugar, and cream of tartar. Whisk to combine. Mix on low.
- Meanwhile, pour the remaining sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir until the sugar is well-moistened. Heat over medium heat until the sugar is melted and begins to bubble. Once the sugar has reached a rolling boil, increase the mixer speed to medium. Cook the sugar until the sugar reaches 250F. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high. Carefully pour the hot sugar into the stand mixer bowl while the mixer is still running. Increase the mixer speed to high and whip until cool to the touch, about 4-5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a second bowl, whip ½ cup of heavy cream until medium firm peaks form.
- Put the meringue in a large mixing bowl and gently fold in the plum puree until streaky. Fold in a third of the whipped cream and fold until combined but still streaky. Add another third and fold until just combined. Add the final third and fold until no streaks remain.
- Pour the mixture into a serving container and chill until set, at least 2 hours or overnight.
- To serve, whip the remaining heavy cream until medium stiff peaks form. Top mousse with freshly whipped cream.
A plum celebration:
Spiced Plum Streusel Cake with Toffee Glaze
From Around the Web:
Spiced Plum Custard Cake from The Baker Chick
Cherry-Plum Port Crumble from Bakers Royale
Caramelized Plum Cake from Baker By Nature
Five-Spice Plum Cake from Hungry Rabbit NYC
Plum Rippled Ginger Crunch Ice Cream from Seven Spoons
Love that you added the thyme to the plums – cannot wait to try that combo. 🙂
Oh plums how I love you!! So glad you are giving them the time of day they deserve.
This is so pretty, Joanne. Love how you always show me something a little different and so very creative for me to think (and drool) over. Enjoy the weekend and the lingering days of summer. : )
So very beautiful! This is a great late summer dessert. I love that streusel cake with toffee glaze as well.
haha, you just made me fall in love with plums with this recipe. . and the gorgeous photos!
Love plums! This is such a gorgeous summery dessert, Joanne!
Oh, wow! Plum mousse has never crossed my mind, and now it’s all I want! Beautiful photos of a must-try dessert. I’m a fellow plum lover, so I’m totally making this!!
This is such a gorgeous dessert! Roasted plum sounds so flavorful!
Those are some glorious looking plums! What a refreshing end of summer treat!
This sounds SUPER delicious!!! I love the addition of thyme!
This is an amazing recipe!!!
Can you believe I haven’t eaten a plum or a pluot the entire summer?!! I had better make up for lost time and get them while the getting’s good, slash make all the mousseseses out of them! Seriously, this is such a genius idea. The plums, though!
Now, I’ve seen plum loaves and cakes and muffins but never a plum pudding – this looks gorgeous! The humble plum definitely shines in this!
plums rule my world this time of year…
My mom is ALL about the plums (but oops I’m a peach girl foreverrr) The thyme is so smart and the mousse is just the most lovely color 🙂
Love the sound of this roasted plum mousse!
Maybe it’s because they’re about the last of the stone fruits to hit the shelves. And I think commercially grown they can be dry and bitter but if you can get them from the Farmers Market and find organic plums, they’re incredibly good. My auntie in NZ grows them in her orchard and they are so much better than any you buy in the supermarket – a very different taste xx
It’s plum season at our farmer’s markets too. And pluots. I bought so many pluots this week!
LOVE this! And I totally thought that pluots were called “plutos” the first time I saw them years ago and it made me love them even more! LMAO
I am counting down the days till plum season!
plums are so perfect right now, but a mousse …….so clever!!
So pretty – Joanne – and sounds so delicious.
I’m pretty free and easy with my stone fruit. I happily confess to loving peaches AND plums AND apricots AND nectarines and basically want to eat as many of all of them as possible.
I also love mousse, so this is my sort of dessert 😀
I have to admit that I’m one of those people who overlook plums. (Sorry.) After reading your post, no more! I’m on the search for the perfect plum, effective immediately.
Plums are so good. Definitely the underdog and I mean we all cheer for the underdog. You got so creative with them making this mousse.
I have never seen plum mousse before but this sounds super awesome. I need to get my plump game on 🙂
I’m wondering again…………..WHY don’t you have a publishing contract for a cookbook?!?
I love roasted stone fruit! I can imagine how sweet and tasty that mousse must be!
Yum! You are so creative Joanne- this looks fabulous! 🙂
Plum mousse, Joanne! What will you come up with next!? What a fabulous way to prepare one of my favorite summer fruits.
Ooooh, this is gorgeous, Joanne!! Can’t wait for plum season. 🙂
sounds so summery Joanne x
Gorgeous dessert! Love plums! Great idea adding thyme! Pinned!
Plums! I just bought a batch of peaches I think I might try this recipe with! 😀 Looks so good!
I love plums and this is a delicious, fruity mousse!
YUMMY! I am in love with this roasted plum mousse. Honey, plum and and heavy cream combo sounds so GOOD. Absolutely relish and gorgeous. Will have to make it soon. 🙂
the girly-girl portion of me is squealing with delight over the color of this and the rest of me just thinks it’d be delicious! 🙂