The Lazy Forager: #18 – Plum Shortbread (aka Zwetschgebloatz)

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Right, here's a slightly different one for you - actual baked goods! That's right, I can be homely and wholesome if I need to. (Though let's not pretend I didn't make plum gin as well. Because that definitely happened.)

I may not have disclosed this before, but my roots are actually German and in rural Southern Germany where I'm from, plum season means mainly one thing: Lots and lots of Zwetschgebloatz! 'Sorry what?!', you ask? Well, let me explain. We are essentially talking about a tray-baked cake involving fresh plums, a yeast dough base and a crumble topping.

It's super yummy and also, let's not beat around the bush here, there's no way that anything I could make will ever be as tasty as my mum's or grandma's inimitable Zwetschgebloatz! So when I gleaned a load of plums from a community orchard the other day, my second thought (after my first thought which was: GIN!) was how I could make a delicious plum cake without feeling like I was betraying my German heritage by producing a mediocre product.

Thankfully, I had up my sleeve an easy recipe for redcurrant shortbread that was willing to lend itself to the cause. Far from engaging in cultural appropriation here, I feel like I've combined the best and finest of German and British cuisines with this one.

Here's the recipe. It's easy to make it vegan as well! And you can do this with any fresh summer fruit you have kicking about.

Ingredients
250g plain flour
100g golden caster sugar (or any sugar) - plus an extra 2 tbsp for sprinkling on top
200g vegan margarine/butter
250g plums

Method
  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C
  2. Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl
  3. Add the margarine/butter, using your fingers to rub it into the dry ingredients until the mixture becomes crumbly
  4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper, and distribute onto it about two thirds of the shortbread mixture, pressing it down firmly
  5. Place the plums on the base before sprinkling the rest of the mixture over the top, followed by the extra 2 tbsp sugar
  6. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown
  7. Allow to cool completely before cutting into squares
  8. Enjoy, because it's bloody delicious!!

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