You can’t beat this time of year for all the delicious fruits that are in season. Figs, blackberries and also plums. I bought these locally grown plums in Saddleback Farm Shop – aren’t they beautiful?!

I’ve experimented with a couple of flat-lays for this post that I had a bit of fun preparing by scattering leaves and flowers around. What do you think?

By now you’ve probably realised that I love to combine herbs and fruits like this pineapple, sage and black pepper juice, and these figs on toast with maple ricotta and rosemary sugar. Here I’m incorporating fresh bay leaves into the stewed plums and it’s a subtle flavour, but my oh my it’s good.

This is a great make-ahead recipe so it’s perfect for entertaining when you don’t want to give yourself too much to do once your guests arrive. Just stew the bay plums and prepare the honey yoghurt in advance, pop in the fridge, and assemble just when you need to.

Ingredients

Makes 4-6 desserts

• 1/2 kilo plums
• 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp plum wine
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 cup natural yoghurt
• 1 tbsp honey
• Crushed amatetti biscuits to decorate

Method

1. Chop the plums into cubes and put into a saucepan with the sugar, plum wine, bay leaves and water. Cook over a low heat to soften the plums and infuse the flavour from the bay leaves.
2. Mix the honey into the yoghurt leaving a little for drizzling when you serve the fool.
3. Take the plums off the heat when they’ve softened but haven’t completely lost their shape. Leave to cool.
4. Once cooled, layer the honey yoghurt with the stewed plums and stir a little so you get a lovely marbled effect. Finish with a light drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of crushed amaretti biscuits.