Title: Zwetschgendatschi
 Categories: Desserts, Bavarian, Usenet
      Yield: 1 Batch
 
    1/4 lb Butter
    1/3 c  Sugar
    1/2 t  Vanilla (or use
           -vanilla sugar)
      1    Egg
      1 T  Sour cream
      1 pn Salt (only if you
           -use unsalted butter)
      1 t  Lemon peel
  1 3/4 c  Flour
      1 t  Baking powder
      2 c  Italian plums

MMMMM-----------------OPTIONAL STREUSEL TOPPING----------------------
      6 T  Butter
    3/4 c  Flour
    1/3 c  Sugar
    1/2 t  Cinnamon
 
  In a large bowl, cream the butter, add the sugar (and vanilla), add
  the egg, (salt,) lemon peel and sour cream. Mix the flour and baking
  powder and add that.
  
  Pit the plums, splitting them into halves or thirds.  Grease the pan
  and spread the dough.  Liberally spread plums over the dough, meat
  side up.  If the plums are sour (as opposed to just tart), sprinkle
  them lightly with sugar.
  
  To make the optional Streusel topping, cream the butter, add flour,
  sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the plums. Bake for 30-45 minutes
  in the middle rack at 375 degrees F. Be careful not to let the bottom
  burn!
  
  Serve liberally topped with freshly-made whipping cream.
  
  NOTES:
  
  *  A Bavarian plum delicacy for dessert -- My mother and grandmother
  make this Bavarian specialty without a recipe; this recipe is from my
  mother, after I pressed her to write it down so I could make my own.
  It also includes variations from a few other folks that you might
  like to try. Roughly translated from Bavarian to German, this is
  Pflaumenkuchen, which, roughly translated from German to to English
  is Plum cake. However, Zwetschgen aren't ordinary plums, a Datschi
  isn't really a Kuchen, and a Kuchen is most definitely NOT a cake!
  
  This dessert is made of the slightly tart Italian plums, which are
  unfortunately only available at certain times of the year.  Don't try
  to make it with ordinary plums; they're too sweet and too juicy.
  Yield: Fills one round cake pan.
  
  *  A Datschi may actually be made with any fruit; I happen to love it
  with Zwetschgen the best.
  
  *  I don't know this with Streusel on top, and never prepare it that
  way, but several of my acquaintances swear by it. Made with other
  fruit, I would be more likely to accept the Streusel.
  
  *  If you like, you may sprinkle rum or cinnamon over the fruit before
  baking. Also, you might try substituting rum for the sour cream in the
  dough, or just adding both.
  
  *  If you want to make a cookie-sheet-sized Datschi, simply double the
  recipe.
  
  : Difficulty:  moderate.
  : Time:  20 minutes preparation, 20 minutes baking.
  : Precision:  approximate measurement OK.
  
  : Chris Kent
  : DEC Western Research Lab, Palo Alto, California
  
  :