Warm plums and oat crumble, served from one small dish
myAudience · AI-generated food illustration · Original AI-generated illustration; no third-party photograph
Plums need very little assistance before their juices turn ruby-red in the oven. A loose oat topping gives this small crumble a crisp surface without burying the fruit. Let the dish rest before serving; bubbling juice stays hot longer than the top suggests.
For 4 small portions, use 500g plums, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar and 1 tablespoon water. For the topping use 60g plain flour, 40g rolled oats, 50g cold unsalted butter and 30g light brown sugar. Contains wheat, oats and milk; check labels if choosing alternative ingredients. Have plain yogurt ready to serve if desired.
Heat the oven to 200°C conventional/180°C fan. Wash, halve and stone the plums. Put them in an ovenproof dish about 20cm wide, toss with sugar and water and turn cut sides upward. Rub butter into flour until there are crumbs with a few larger flakes, then stir in oats and topping sugar.
Scatter loosely over the fruit. Bake for 30–40 minutes until the topping is golden and juice bubbles around the edges. If the top colors before the fruit softens, cover loosely with foil for the final minutes. Rest for 10–15 minutes before spooning into bowls. Allow about 1 hour altogether.
Taste a piece of fruit before assembly; exceptionally sharp plums may need a little more sugar. Cool leftovers promptly, refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 48 hours. Reheat once until steaming hot throughout. Add cold yogurt after heating, following its own use-by and storage directions.