To make it even better than on Windows I created an Automator workflow (could probably just as easily be an Applescript).

As it is a Finder extension it is located under Automator on right click.
It first asks for a name of the textfile, then creates in the current Finder window or the desktop and then opens it up - ready for me to write and save.

...and the Plain text is just a setting as pointed out by others.

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