Recipe: Plum soup

For the plum soup
100g caster sugar
One vanilla pod
10 ripe plums stoned
Icing sugar
One tablespoon honey
Zest and juice of one orange

Method

First make a vanilla syrup by putting the caster sugar in a saucepan with just enough water to cover it. Add the vanilla pod. Bring to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes, remove from the heat.

Using half the plums, place them in a saucepan, coat them in icing sugar, over a gentle heat allow them to caramelise. Add the honey, orange zest and juice and allow them to caramelise for a couple more minutes.

Remove the vanilla pod from the syrup and add to the plums, bring the whole mix to the boil and remove from heat, blend the mix until smooth then chill.

Dice the left over plums and place in the serving bowls, pour over the chilled soup and serve.
This chilled soup is fantastic with vanilla pod ice cream or vanilla mascarpone.