- punnet of English plums, stalks removed
- good sprinkling of unrefined caster or granulated sugar
- good sprinkling of light muscovado sugar
- few whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- good quality vanilla ice cream, to serve
- Place the whole plums into a large shallow pan over a medium heat and sprinkle over both types of sugar, adding more or less depending on the sweetness of the fruit and how sweet your tooth is.
- Add enough water to cover the fruit halfway up, then drop the cloves, cinnamon stick and bay leaf into the pan. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat. Cook for 6-7 minutes, until the plums have collapsed a little bit and the juices have mixed with the sugar.
- Serve the very cold ice cream in bowls, spoon over the hot plums and some of the cooking juices and serve immediately.