ZWETSCHGEN STRUDEL (Mock Plum Strudel)

Zwetschgen, plum in German. This recipe is from my mom. No, we are not of German descent. My kids will be though, since I married a man whos great-grandparents immigrated from Germany! I should ask my mom where she got this recipe :)

Anyways, this is seriously so yummy! It doesn't seem overly sweet to me, even though it has alot of sugar. I didn't have Italian prunes on hand. Just regular purple plums, so I cut them into eighths instead of halves. Here is what you need to do:

 BATTER
1/2 C. Butter, softened
1 C. Sugar

1 egg
3/4 C. Milk
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind (optional)
2 C. Flour
2 tsp. baking powder
12 to 15 Italian prunes (or 3 to 5 regular plums)

TOPPING
1 1/2 C. Flour
1 1/2 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Butter, softened
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon

• Mix BATTER ingredients by first creaming butter and sugar until creamy.  
• Add egg and beat until fluffy. 
• Add milk and lemon, then the dry ingredients.  
• Mix well, it will be way thicker than normal cake batter. (almost more like dough).
• Spread evenly into a greased and floured 9 x 13" pan.  
• Cover batter with the halves of Italian prunes (or eighths of a plum), cut side up (skin side down).  
• Mix butter and sugar for TOPPING, then add flour and cinnamon. (it will be crumbly).
• Cover the batter and plums with the topping mixture. 
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 min.

Great for breakfast or a yummy dessert! Enjoy!