Name: Shane Osborn: Agen prunes with thyme financières and orange and Cognac Chantilly
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: ½ orange, finely grated rind and juice only; ½ lemon, finely grated rind only; 1 English breakfast tea bag; 2 star anise; ½ cinnamon quill; 1 fresh bay leaf; 185 gm Agen prunes (see note); Thyme financières; 125 gm butter, coarsely chopped; 110 gm eggwhite (about 2 eggs); 60 gm pure icing sugar, sieved; 40 gm honey; 45 gm plain flour; 45 gm almond meal; 2 tsp thyme leaves; Orange and Cognac Chantilly; 400 ml thickened cream; 1 tbsp pure icing sugar, sieved; 2 oranges, finely grated rind only; 20 ml Cognac

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

Australian Gourmet Traveller French dessert recipe for Agen prunes with thyme financières and orange and Cognac Chantilly by Shane Osborn.

Serves 8

Prep

20M

Cook

20M

Total

40M

“Serve the financières warm from the oven. Leftover prunes are great with toasted muesli for breakfast.”

Ingredients

½ orange, finely grated rind and juice only

½ lemon, finely grated rind only

1 English breakfast tea bag

2 star anise

½ cinnamon quill

1 fresh bay leaf

185 gm Agen prunes (see note)

Thyme financières

125 gm butter, coarsely chopped

110 gm eggwhite (about 2 eggs)

60 gm pure icing sugar, sieved

40 gm honey

45 gm plain flour

45 gm almond meal

2 tsp thyme leaves

Orange and Cognac Chantilly

400 ml thickened cream

1 tbsp pure icing sugar, sieved

2 oranges, finely grated rind only

20 ml Cognac

Method

Main

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.

Note Agen prunes, from Agen in France, are available from select delicatessens. If unavailable, substitute other pitted prunes.
This recipe is from the July 2009 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.
Drink Suggestion: Small glass of Armagnac. Drink suggestion by Max Allen
Notes