This recipe could also be subtitled ‘when the winter asks you what you were doing in the summer‘. My answer would be (as that of many other Slovak home cooks): making jam, bottling and preserving all produce from our gardens.

As I said in one of my previous posts, last year was very good for plums and my pantry is still half-filled with bottles of the deep red, squashy fruit, as well as jars of sticky jam. They bring back a whiff of the summer with all its smells and flavours each time I open a new bottle.

It’s good to have an ample supply of these conserved vitamins and minerals on hand, especially when you’re feeling low and seeking comfort in a quick, simple dessert. Here is one that is low on calories, and will only take you about 40 minutes to make.

Low-Sugar Non-Dairy Plum Pie

• 2 cups wheat flour
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup oil
• 2 eggs
• canned plums or other fruit
• 1 cup plum juice (I used the juice from my bottled plums)
• 1 sachet baking powder (13 g content in Slovakia)
• vanilla sugar to dust the finished pie
• some juice to sprinkle over the top

Method:

1. Grease a baking tray with oil or margarine and dust it with flour.
2. Strain the plums on a large sieve and save the juice.
3. Put all the ingredients (except the plums, but including the juice) in a mixing bowl and stir well until smooth.
4. Pour the batter in the baking tray and spread evenly all around it.
5. Stone the plums, if needed, and place them on the batter in rows.
6. Put in the oven and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until the crust turns golden brown.
7. Take out of the oven, let cool on a cooling mat, and cut into squares or shapes of your choice.
8. Dust with the vanilla sugar, sprinkle some of the remaining juice over the top, and serve warm with a cup of tea or coffee.

This is a light but satisfying dessert that makes enough portions for a little party. The fruit juice gives the cake extra zest and moisture, so you’ll also get a refreshing feel in your mouth with every single bite.