This is a very simple and pretty dessert. Although plums are not as commonly used in frozen desserts as peaches, berries, and citrus fruits, they make an especially lush and creamy sorbet.

Makes about half a litre

Ingredients:
6 soft, ripe plums, halved and pitted
80ml water
11/2 teaspoons Agar Flakes
about 200g Brown Rice Malt Syrup, to taste
juice of half a small lemon

Method:
1. Put the plums and water into a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Put the lid on, and cook gently over medium-low heat, stirring now and then with a wooden spoon until they’re tender. This will be about 10-15 minutes. Take the pan off the heat. With a slotted spoon, fish out the plums, and put them into a blender or food processor.

2. Sprinkle the agar-agar flakes over the remaining cooking liquid and gently simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the liquid to the blender and purée until smooth. While the plums are still hot, mix in the syrup and lemon juice, and stir well. Pour the mixture into a plastic tub, and freeze for at least 6 hours, until solid.

*This plum sorbet is smooth enough to scoop out and eat as it is at this stage of the recipe. For a smoother texture, blend the sorbet again the day before you serve it. Scrape the frozen mixture up with a fork until it looks like finely crushed ice. Spoon half of it into a blender and blend until it’s light and smooth. Make sure you do it quickly so the sorbet doesn’t thaw. Blend the other half in the same way. Place the blended sorbet back into the plastic tub, cover, and freeze until it’s firm again. This will take about 1-3 hours this time.

*You could also try freezing the sorbet in an ice cube tray instead of the plastic tub to make instant kid-sized servings.