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Sugarplum Sauce

Sugarplums, made famous by the “Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy” in Tchaikovsky’s ballet, The Nutcracker Suite, is an old-fashioned English word for candy. It evokes the sweet glory of a dried plum, also known as a prune. Lately, body-cleansing properties of prunes have made them embarrassing. But so what if they are healthy? They are also beautifully sweet like candy, full of wrinkle-fighting antioxidants, and charged with fiber and vitamins. In this recipe, with an assist from dark chocolate, prunes regain their rightful place as sugarplums. This sauce makes a fine duet with ice cream or a slice of pound cake (see Breakfast-in-Bed Pound Cake, page 26).

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 1 cup sauce

Ingredients

Chocolate Choices:

Ghirardelli Premium, E. Guittard, Omahene, or Green & Black’s dark chocolate
10 prunes, thinly sliced lengthwise
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup brewed coffee
3 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Cognac
3 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

Preparation

  1. Combine the prunes, maple syrup, water, coffee, and brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for about 3 minutes, lower the heat, and add the Cognac and dark chocolate. Stir until you have a smooth consistency. Serve warm over ice cream or cake.

Chocolate Bliss
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