Shane Osborn: Agen prunes with thyme financières and orange and Cognac Chantilly

1.Combine juice, rinds, tea bag, spices, bay leaf and 750ml water in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a gentle simmer, cook until infused (8-10 minutes). Remove tea bag, add prunes, simmer for 10 minutes, set aside.

2.For thyme financières, cook butter in a saucepan over medium heat until nut brown (4-6 minutes), set aside to cool. Whisk eggwhite in an electric mixer until starting to foam (1-2 minutes), gradually add sugar, then honey. Combine well, add flour, almond meal and thyme, then gradually add melted butter in a thin stream until a thick batter is formed. Refrigerate for 1 hour to rest. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180C. Divide mixture among eight patty-case-lined, 80ml-capacity muffin tray moulds, smooth tops and bake until golden or until a skewer withdraws clean (10-15 minutes). Set aside, keep warm.

3.For orange and Cognac Chantilly, whisk cream, sugar and rind in a chilled electric mixer bowl until soft peaks form (1-2 minutes), then whisk in Cognac. Serve immediately with financières and prunes.