You can bottle these prunes for last-minute entertaining. You’ll need to begin this recipe a day ahead.
Ingredients
Crème fraîche ice-cream
Method
Main
1.Place prunes and orange in a bowl. Stir Cognac, sugar, orange juice and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved (2-4 minutes), pour over prunes and orange, cover and set aside to macerate (overnight-2 days).
2.For crème fraîche ice-cream, bring milk, cream and vanilla seeds to the boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl until pale. Pour milk mixture over yolk mixture, whisking continuously, then return to pan and stir continuously over low heat until mixture coats a spoon thickly (5-10 minutes). Stir in crème fraîche, refrigerate until well chilled (1 hour), freeze in an ice-cream machine, then freeze until firm. Makes about 1.25 litres. Serve with prunes and oranges in Cognac.
Note Agen prunes, from Agen in France, are available from select delicatessens. If unavailable, substitute another type of prune.
Notes