The recipe of Thomasina Miers of the crazy with eau-de-vie and prunes with chocolate bark | The new flexitarian
The French have long known about the pleasures of prunes, but in Britain we seem to overlook them. Growing up, my mother did wonders with Agen prunes, gently poaching them for various glorious concoctions. Cut to a French exchange in Paris where I had prune and Armagnac ice cream with a scoop of dark chocolate, from a shop on Ile Saint-Louis. The flavors are still etched in my memory, and inspired this delectable pudding.
Prune and Armagnac Fol with Chocolate Rosemary BarkPoached prunes are also delicious with yogurt Greek for a healthy day-to-day start.
Preparation 20 minCooking 15 minRefrigeration 3 hours +6 servings
For the rosemary chocolate bark200g dark chocolateZest 1 untreated orange 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary 1 large pinch of fleur de sel 50g coconut flakes
For the prunes 300g tender prunes (Agen are best) Juice and zest of 1 orange 1 tsp vanilla essence 3-4 tbsp Armagnac 180ml Earl Gray tea (from one bag)
For the whipped cream300 ml heavy cream1 tbsp sifted icing sugar (I like golden)½ tsp vanilla bean paste1 tbsp cognac
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You will need six pretty glasses for the puddings. For the bark, break the chocolate into chunks, place in a heatproof bowl and either melt in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between, or in a double boiler 1/4 full. simmering water. Heat the chocolate until almost completely melted, then remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the orange zest, rosemary and salt until all the chocolate is melted.
< p class="dcr-1b64dqh">Pour onto the paper-lined tray and use a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the coconut flakes by pressing them gently into the chocolate, then let set at room temperature (if you put in the refrigerator, the chocolate will swell). Once the chocolate has set, break it into shards and store it in an airtight cookie tin between layers of parchment paper.To make the fool, put the prunes , orange juice and all but a pinch of zest, vanilla, Armagnac and tea in a medium saucepan. Simmer gently, covered, for six to eight minutes until the prunes are totally tender. Once cooled to the touch, pit the prunes and transfer them to a food processor along with a few tablespoons of poaching juice. Mix and pour in the rest of the juices as you go, until you get a smooth, rich purée. Cover and refrigerate for three to four hours.
To assemble puddings, whip cream and icing sugar together to soft, velvety peaks, then stir in vanilla and cognac. If you whip the cream too much and it becomes too stiff, simply stir in more cold cream until it becomes softly whipped again. Coat the bottom of six small glasses with the prune and Armagnac purée, then the cream. Garnish with the chocolate bark and a small pinch of orange zest, and serve.
The simple flexUse a vegan cream to make the cream layer, or a cream vanilla flavored cashew nuts made with soaked and crushed cashews.
The French have long known about the pleasures of prunes, but in Britain we seem to overlook them. Growing up, my mother did wonders with Agen prunes, gently poaching them for various glorious concoctions. Cut to a French exchange in Paris where I had prune and Armagnac ice cream with a scoop of dark chocolate, from a shop on Ile Saint-Louis. The flavors are still etched in my memory, and inspired this delectable pudding.
Prune and Armagnac Fol with Chocolate Rosemary BarkPoached prunes are also delicious with yogurt Greek for a healthy day-to-day start.
Preparation 20 minCooking 15 minRefrigeration 3 hours +6 servings
For the rosemary chocolate bark200g dark chocolateZest 1 untreated orange 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary 1 large pinch of fleur de sel 50g coconut flakes
For the prunes 300g tender prunes (Agen are best) Juice and zest of 1 orange 1 tsp vanilla essence 3-4 tbsp Armagnac 180ml Earl Gray tea (from one bag)
For the whipped cream300 ml heavy cream1 tbsp sifted icing sugar (I like golden)½ tsp vanilla bean paste1 tbsp cognac
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You will need six pretty glasses for the puddings. For the bark, break the chocolate into chunks, place in a heatproof bowl and either melt in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between, or in a double boiler 1/4 full. simmering water. Heat the chocolate until almost completely melted, then remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the orange zest, rosemary and salt until all the chocolate is melted.
< p class="dcr-1b64dqh">Pour onto the paper-lined tray and use a spatula to spread it as evenly as possible. Sprinkle the coconut flakes by pressing them gently into the chocolate, then let set at room temperature (if you put in the refrigerator, the chocolate will swell). Once the chocolate has set, break it into shards and store it in an airtight cookie tin between layers of parchment paper.To make the fool, put the prunes , orange juice and all but a pinch of zest, vanilla, Armagnac and tea in a medium saucepan. Simmer gently, covered, for six to eight minutes until the prunes are totally tender. Once cooled to the touch, pit the prunes and transfer them to a food processor along with a few tablespoons of poaching juice. Mix and pour in the rest of the juices as you go, until you get a smooth, rich purée. Cover and refrigerate for three to four hours.
To assemble puddings, whip cream and icing sugar together to soft, velvety peaks, then stir in vanilla and cognac. If you whip the cream too much and it becomes too stiff, simply stir in more cold cream until it becomes softly whipped again. Coat the bottom of six small glasses with the prune and Armagnac purée, then the cream. Garnish with the chocolate bark and a small pinch of orange zest, and serve.
The simple flexUse a vegan cream to make the cream layer, or a cream vanilla flavored cashew nuts made with soaked and crushed cashews.
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