Far Breton
Hi Everyone! I made something a little special and different this time: a Far Breton. Far is French and it refers to custardy-like pudding cake. Breton means it comes from the region of Britanny (the land of butter and salted caramel!), and in this case, it means the cake is studded with prunes. Sounds a little strange... but it is so delicious. The cake is similar to that of a cherry clafouti in that its batter is very wet, and when baked around the tart fruit, it gets like a solid custard. Definitely something to give a try if you like experimenting with classic French desserts. :)
If you'd like to see more pictures of the Far (and the recipe), please visit my post at my blog, The Moveable Feasts.
You can also click on the lj link to find the recipe,Far Breton
Adapted slightly from Dorie Greenspan
Serves 6 to 8
2 cups whole milk
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
a good pinch of salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup small or medium-size pitted prunes (about 6 ounces)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup rum
powdered sugar
In a blender, combine the milk, eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt. Blend for 1 minute, until fully blended and creamy. Add the flour and pulse, scraping down the sides a time or two, until just blended. Cover the blender container and chill for at least 3 hours or up to 1 day.
Meanwhile, combine the prunes and the 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until almost all the water has been soaked or evaporated and the prunes have softened, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, pour the run over the fruit, and set aside to let the fruit cool completely.
When ready to bake the Far, position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375 degrees. Butter a 8 or 9-inch pan that has at sides at least 2-inches tall. Line bottom of the pan with parchment, butter it, then dust the pan with flour, shaking out the excess.
While the oven is heating, re-blend the batter just until smooth again, about 5 to 10 seconds. Pour about half the batter into the prepared pan. Place the prunes evenly into the batter, then continue to pour in the remaining batter. Bake in the preheated oven until sides are puffed and browned, and the center is golden, about 1 hour. The center should be just set, but it’ll still jiggle a bit; a knife inserted should come out clean though. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once cool, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert the cake onto a plate, releasing the cake. Peel off the parchment, and invert again onto a serving plate. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar and serve.