The abundance of plums in the Czech Republic meant that Czechs often dried them for the winter in the past. I will present one of the Czech recipes that use prunes today. This is a traditional old Czech sweet made by the Bohemian grannies, especially at Christmas. Prunes soaked in rum, stuffed with blanched almonds, glazed with chocolate.
The base of this sweet consists of dried pitted plums soaked in rum. Blanched almonds (without skin) are inserted into the hole left by the stone. All you have to do is dip the prune in melted chocolate and place it on baking paper to dry.
A toothpick carefully stuck into the prune will help better handle this Christmas delicacy.
MY TIP: Check this recipe for Czech easy no-bake rum balls (they are so good!)
Ingredients
For chocolate-coated prunes, you need:
- Prunes; pitted. Choose softer and good quality ones; they will be ready sooner after soaking in rum.
- Rum; to soak the prunes. If you are based in the US, I recommend Kirkland spiced rum (available at Costco) or Austrian Stroh 54 - these types taste similar to classic Czech "tuzemák" rum.
- Almonds; whole, blanched (without skin)
- Semi-sweet chocolate; pure chocolate baking bars containing 34 % - 45 % cacao
- Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream; should contain over 30 % fat. The cream stirred into the chocolate, melted in a water bath will ensure that the glaze gains the right consistency.
Next, take wooden toothpicks and a sheet of baking paper or foil on which the chocolate-dipped prunes will dry.
✅ You'll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
Instructions with Photos
STEP 1: Pour the rum into a bowl. Place the prunes in it so that they are submerged. Leave the bowl of prunes on the kitchen counter overnight.
STEP 2: Drain the rum and let the prunes drain. Insert one almond into the hole left by the stone in each prune.
STEP 3: Melt the chocolate in a water bath. Pour in the heavy cream and stir until the two ingredients combine into a smooth, semi-liquid chocolate coating. Add an extra teaspoon or two of cream if the glaze is too thick.
STEP 4: Dip each almond stuffed prune into the chocolate glaze. I use two smaller spoons for this.
STEP 5: Place the chocolate-covered prune on baking paper. Carefully insert a toothpick into it. Allow drying until the chocolate coating has set.
Storage
Once the chocolate glaze on the prunes has set, peel the plums off the base and place them in an airtight box lined with foil. Cover with a lid and store in a cool place, such as the fridge.
Our family always eats the prunes within a week in our house, but I think the sweets would last longer. The prunes are preserved in rum and chocolate. Maybe that's why this candy is one of the first to disappear from the table 😊
Serving
Serve the chocolate prunes on a platter in quantity you will eat up in a short time. Chocolate removed from the cold to warm will be slightly dewy on the surface, but that's okay.
If you leave the prunes in the warmth longer, the chocolate coating may start to soften.
Useful Tips
- When inserting the almonds into the prune, inspect this one for any residual stone. If you find any, remove them, so you don't accidentally bite into them.
- Chocolate glaze made from chocolate and cream is called ganache. Details on preparing ganache can be found here (including ingredients and featured brands available in the USA).
- Please don't throw away the rum left from the soaked prunes. Use it, for example, in your tea, or sprinkle it on porridge, breakfast yogurt, etc. (for adults).
More Czech sweets:
Tried this recipe?
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📖 Recipe
Almond Stuffed Prunes in Chocolate Glaze
Tap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 25 pieces prunes pitted; about 3 and ½ oz
- 1 cup golden rum e. g. Kirkland spiced rum from Costco or Austrian Stroh 54
- 25 pieces whole blanched almonds
- 5 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup golden rum into a bowl and submerge 25 pieces prunes in it. Leave the bowl of prunes on the kitchen counter overnight to soak.
- Drain the rum and let the prunes drip off. Insert one almond into the hole left by the pit in each prune.
- Melt 5 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate over a water bath. Pour in ¼ cup heavy whipping creamand stir until the ingredients combine into a smooth, semi-liquid chocolate coating. If the glaze is too thick, add an extra teaspoon or two of cream.
- Dip each almond stuffed prune into the chocolate glaze. I use two smaller spoons for this.
- Place the chocolate-covered prunes on baking paper. Carefully insert a toothpick into each one. Allow them to dry until the chocolate coating has set.
Notes
- STORAGE: Once the chocolate glaze on the prunes has set, peel them off the baking paper and place them in an airtight box lined with foil. Cover with a lid and store in a cool place, such as the fridge. They will last up to one week.
- SERVING: Serve the chocolate prunes on a platter in the quantity you will consume shortly. When removed from the cold, the chocolate may become slightly dewy on the surface, but that's perfectly fine.
- When inserting the almonds into the prunes, inspect each one for any residual pit fragments. If you find any, remove them to avoid accidentally biting into them.
- Please don't throw away the rum left from soaking the prunes. You can use it in tea, sprinkle it on porridge or breakfast yogurt, or incorporate it into other recipes (for adults).
Carol says
Delicious and so easy to make! Everyone loved them!!
Carol says
Oh, and the leftover rum is wonderful in our afternoon tea… thank you for that suggestion!
Petra Kupská says
Thank you for your comment, Carol! I am happy you liked the recipe.