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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Almond Stuffed Prunes in Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
- 25 pieces prunes pitted; about 3 and ½ oz
- 1 cup (240 ml) golden rum in the US Kirkland spiced rum or Austrian Stroh 54
- 25 pieces whole blanched almonds
- 5 oz (140 g) semi-sweet baking chocolate in bars
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- 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.
- Drain the rum and let the prunes drain. Insert one almond into the hole left by the stone in each prune.
- 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.
- Dip each almond stuffed prune into the chocolate glaze. I use two smaller spoons for this.
- Place the chocolate-covered prune on baking paper. Carefully insert a toothpick into it. Allow drying until the chocolate coating has set.
Notes
- 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. They will last up to one week.
- SERVING: Serve the chocolate prunes on a platter in the 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.
- 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.
- 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).
DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:
Conversion chart
Carol
Delicious and so easy to make! Everyone loved them!!
Carol
Oh, and the leftover rum is wonderful in our afternoon tea… thank you for that suggestion!
Petra Kupská
Thank you for your comment, Carol! I am happy you liked the recipe.