A Quick Freeze Is All You Need To Turn Prunes Into A Chewy Snack
Prunes are seen as having a singular purpose. High in fiber, the fruit is known to be a great aid to the digestive tract. As useful as they are, though, prunes also make an incredible chewy snack when frozen.
Derived from plums, specifically European plums with a pit that's easy to remove, the fruits are dried to concentrate their flavor. They go from being a tart, juicy plum to an intensely rich and sweet prune: a treat that's good for more than just health reasons. While they're certainly not everyone's favorite dried fruit, prunes go beyond being solely for necessity.
If you're not a fan of the sticky, soft consistency of prunes, try freezing them for a better texture. Giving the prunes a quick freeze slightly hardens them while maintaining their chewy texture, turning them into a frozen fruit snack. Once you freeze them for around two hours, they'll transform into even sweeter, chewier prunes. Enjoy them in their natural state or dip them in your favorite sweet condiments for a dessert-like snack. They can be eaten straight out of the freezer or kept there for longer, lasting up to 18 months when frozen.
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Cover Prunes In Toppings For An Even Sweeter Treat
If you're a fan of yogurt-covered raisins but would prefer them in a larger size, dip prunes in vanilla yogurt before placing them in the freezer. You can stop at the yogurt, or roll them around in homemade crunchy granola for more texture. Once you've added the toppings, place the prunes on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and pop them in the freezer for around three or four hours.
For a non-dairy dessert, draw out prunes' earthiness with tahini or almond butter. Drizzle the nutty condiments onto the prunes to balance out the syrupy fruit. To give your snack a bit of spice, finely chop up pieces of dried, candied ginger to stick to the tahini or almond butter. If you don't want them to be so sweet, add a sprinkle of ground ginger or cinnamon instead.
Biting into chocolate and discovering there's fruit inside isn't always the most pleasant experience, but with prunes' syrupy flavor, the rich fruits are the perfect match to dark chocolate. Melt dark chocolate bars on the stove top and dip the prunes in it, covering them completely. Top off the luscious chocolate-dipped prunes with sea salt, chopped toasted almonds, or crushed peanuts.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
