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Plum in chocolate or plum nutella – simple and very tasty!
Instructions
It is necessary to remove the pits from the plums and rinse them thoroughly. Place the pitted plums in a saucepan. Light a small flame for proper gentle initial cooking.
Pour in the granulated sugar. You can also use regular powdered sugar, as it dissolves faster during boiling. The sugar choice impacts dissolution speed but not finished flavor.
Add the specified amount of cocoa. Mix all the ingredients and simmer on low heat for a quarter of an hour. Once all the plums soften, remove the jam from the heat. The slow simmer prevents scorching while developing the deep chocolate-fruit character.
The prepared base looks as follows. Note the deep chocolate-purple color that develops during the cooking process.
Blend the jam with an immersion blender until smooth and return the chocolate jam to the heat. The blending creates the silky Nutella-like texture authentic to the finished spread.
Pour in the necessary amount of rum. Reduce the chocolate paste to the desired thickness. Adjust the jam to taste with a pinch of salt and vanilla to taste. Remove the jam from the burner.
Pour the jam into jars — previously sterilized with steam. Seal the jam for winter or cover with a plastic lid. Store the chocolate-plum jam in a dark place (if it's a winter preparation) or in the refrigerator (if the jam is under a plastic lid).
Serve the chocolate-plum paste with coffee, tea, cookies, and cheeses: camembert, brie. Enjoy your meal!Fragrant and very tasty plum jam taste very similar to Nutella, but with a slight tartness and hint of ripe plum. To bring the jam closer to the authentic taste, you can add chopped nuts to the paste. Plum in chocolate goes well with soft cheeses such as brie and camembert, toasts, buns, and cookies.
Tips
- 1
Use ripe but firm plums for the best finished texture and flavor balance. Overripe plums turn to mush quickly and produce overly sweet finished jam; underripe plums stay too tart even with sugar addition. Properly ripe plums yield slightly to gentle pressure but maintain shape during initial cooking. The ripeness matters significantly for finished jam quality consistently across batches and various plum varieties throughout the harvest season for proper sweet-tart balance.
- 2
Use Dutch-process cocoa powder for the smoothest richest chocolate flavor. Natural cocoa produces tangier sharper chocolate character; Dutch-process cocoa produces deeper smoother chocolate notes that blend beautifully with the plum sweetness. The same quality-cocoa principle elevates many chocolate preparations including charlotte with apples and plums for chocolate-fruit pairings and similar fruit-based dessert preparations across various baking occasions.
- 3
Use an immersion blender for the smoothest finished texture. Hand-mashing produces rustic chunky results acceptable for some preparations; immersion blender produces the silky Nutella-like texture authentic to commercial chocolate-fruit spreads. The blending pays back significantly in finished spread quality consistently across batches. Process for at least 1-2 minutes for proper smoothness; over-blending will not damage the texture but does produce slightly aerated lighter results.
- 4
Pair the finished spread with traditional accompaniments for proper presentation. Spread on warm croissants for elegant breakfast, dolloped on vanilla ice cream for sophisticated desserts, or sandwiched between cookies for special-occasion treats. Pair with crusty homemade bread for substantial breakfast spreads, hot tea or coffee for traditional afternoon tea-time accompaniment, or with soft cheeses for elegant cheese-board presentations worth showcasing at proper entertaining gatherings.
FAQ
Can I make this without rum? +
Yes, the rum is optional and adds depth without being essential to the preparation. Substitute vanilla extract, almond extract, or simply omit the rum entirely for an alcohol-free version suitable for children and recovery-conscious diners. The non-alcoholic version is especially suitable for canning since alcohol does not contribute to preservation in this preparation. The basic technique stays identical regardless of rum inclusion for consistently excellent finished spread results across various dietary preferences.
How long does this jam keep? +
Properly canned and stored in a cool dark place, the jam keeps for 12 months at peak quality. Refrigerated under plastic lid storage, the jam keeps for 3 months. After opening, store in the refrigerator and consume within 2-3 weeks for proper food safety. The flavor improves slightly over the first month as components meld together beautifully throughout the aging period for proper finished chocolate-plum character development across various winter storage conditions.
Can I add nuts to the jam? +
Absolutely — chopped hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, or pecans add wonderful crunch and flavor depth that brings the spread closer to authentic Nutella character. Toast the nuts before adding for the deepest finished flavor; add at the rum stage so they distribute evenly throughout the spread. About 50g of nuts integrates beautifully without disrupting the basic spread structure for endless variations across various nut preferences throughout the year for proper personalized finished results.
What other fruits work besides plums? +
Cherries, apricots, peaches, figs, blackberries, or even apples all work beautifully with chocolate in similar preparations. Each fruit produces distinct character: cherries are most traditional pairing with chocolate, apricots add bright tang, peaches are mildest and most subtle. Adjust sugar slightly based on fruit sweetness levels for balanced finished results. The basic technique stays identical regardless of fruit choice for endless seasonal variations throughout the harvest year.
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