Plums in White Peppercorn and Vanilla Syrup

• 1 tablespoon white peppercorns
• 1 vanilla bean
• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 8 plums about 2 pounds

1. With a mortar and pestle or with bottom of a heavy skillet coarsely crush peppercorns.
2. With a knife halve vanilla bean lengthwise.
3. In a small kettle simmer pepper, vanilla bean, water, and sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved, 10 minutes.
4. Pour syrup through a fine sieve into a bowl and return to kettle.
5. Pit plums and cut each plum into 12 wedges.
6. Have ready a large bowl of ice and cold water.
7. Bring syrup just to a simmer and stir in plums.
8. Simmer plums just until tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
9. With a slotted spoon transfer plums to a large metal bowl sit in bowl of ice water and stir gently until cool.
10. Boil syrup until reduced to about 3 cups and remove kettle from heat.
11. Cool syrup to room temperature and stir into plums.
12. Plums may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
13. Serve plums chilled or at room temperature.

white peppercorns, vanilla bean, water, sugar

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/plums-in-white-peppercorn-and-vanilla-syrup-15224 (may not work)