Ingredients

• 4 free-range eggs
• 125ml/4fl oz Muscat or sweet dessert wine
• 50g/1¾oz caster sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 free-range eggs
• 160g/5¾oz caster sugar
• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 160g/5¾oz unsalted butter
• diced
• 16 Victoria plums
• halved and stoned
• 50g/13/4oz caster sugar
• 2 tbsp plum liqueur
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

• For the sabayon
• whisk the egg yolks
• wine
• sugar and lemon juice in a medium bowl for one minute. Place the bowl over a pan of barely-simmering water and whisk constantly for 7-8 minutes until the sabayon is light and fluffy. Set the bowl over a larger bowl filled with ice and continue whisking to chill the sauce. Cover the sauce with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.
• For the shortbread
• place the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of a food mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on a high speed for four minutes until the mixture is very pale and doubled in volume. Reduce the speed to minimum
• add the flour
• baking powder and salt and mix for two minutes. Add the butter
• mix for one more minute then scrape the dough onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Cover the tray with clingfilm and place in the fridge for 35 minutes for the dough to stiffen.
• Preheat the oven to 160C/310F/Gas 2½. Roll the dough between two sheets of greaseproof paper to a thickness of 3mm/â…›in. Place the dough on a baking tray and transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove the top layer of greaseproof paper
• cut the dough into four rectangles 5cm x 15cm/2in x 6in and place on a greased baking tray. Bake for six minutes until golden-brown then remove from the oven and trim the edges of the shortbread to make a neat finish. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile
• place the plums
• sugar
• plum liqueur and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside to macerate for one hour. Cut eight of the plum halves into quarters and set aside. Place the remaining plum halves and the macerating liquid into a pan and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat
• add the quartered plums and allow cool to room temperature.
• To serve
• place the plum halves together to reform into whole plums. Place a shortbread biscuit on each plate and top with three plums. Spoon the quartered plums around and top with a spoonful of the sabayon. Dust the surface with icing sugar twice and gently caramelise with a blow torch.