Thanks to all the miserable weather this week I’ve found time to create some new seasonal recipes – this one was a little inspired by finding a bottle of port truly gathering dust but, of course, this is entirely optional! Whether you use the port or not I can guarantee your house will be left smelling heavenly (and festive)!

220 ml Beetroot juice

60 ml Port (or use more beetroot juice)

Zest & juice of 1 orange

6 firm plums

 ¼ tsp. allspice

½ tsp. ground star anise

¼ tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

Serves 4

Preheat your oven to around 190°C. Halve and stone the plums and place cut-side down in an oven proof dish.  Add all remaining ingredients to a saucepan and bring to simmer point, stirring frequently. Pour this liquid over the plums and then bake for 15-20 minutes.  I wanted my plums to retain some firmness but if you want them really soft then leave them cooking for at least 20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and pour the cooking liquid back into the pan.  Simmer gently for a further 10 minutes or until the liquid is more like a thick syrup.  Pour this over the plums and serve either warm or chilled.