Far Breton Aux Pruneaux Recipe

This Far Breton Aux Pruneaux recipe combines tender prunes, Armagnac or rum, vanilla, milk, eggs, and a simple flour batter to create a silky French baked custard dessert. Featured on Dinner in Paris with host Romain Avril, this charming French prune dessert develops a soft, custardy texture surrounding rich fruit infused with the warm flavour of liquor.

The Inspiration

Far Breton Aux Pruneaux is a classic French-style baked dessert closely associated with Brittany and recognized for its dense yet custardy texture. Unlike a traditional cake, the batter is built primarily from milk, eggs, flour, and sugar, giving the finished dessert a smooth consistency somewhere between a baked custard and a firm pudding.

On Dinner in Paris, host Romain Avril prepares the dessert with pitted prunes soaked and reduced with Armagnac or rum. Heating the prunes with the liquor softens the fruit while concentrating the liquid, leaving a small amount of intensely flavoured syrup to incorporate into the batter.

Baked until just set and then chilled completely, Far Breton Aux Pruneaux is wonderfully simple despite its elegant appearance. The prunes form a fruity layer across the bottom while the smooth batter bakes around them, creating a dessert that is rich without feeling overly elaborate.

Ingredients

• 200g (1 cup) prunes, pitted
• 75ml (⅓ cup) Armagnac liquor or rum
• 100g (¾ cup) ap flour
• 100g (½ cup) sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups milk, heated
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Heavily butter a 8-inch square baking dish. In a small saucepot, combine prunes and rum.
• Bring to boil and reduce for 4-5 minutes or until there is only 2 tablespoons of liquid left. Reserve liquid. Neatly arrange prunes in the bottom of the prepared dish.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Whisk in eggs one at a time.
• Gradually stir in warmed milk. Stir in vanilla and reserved rum liquid. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake for 25 minutes until set. Cool in the fridge until it is completely cold.

Serving Suggestion

Far Breton Aux Pruneaux is best served completely chilled, allowing its smooth custard texture and rich prune flavour to become the focus. Slice the dessert into neat squares or rectangles and serve each portion on its own for a simple French presentation. Because the batter already contains vanilla and the prunes carry the concentrated flavour of Armagnac or rum, the dessert does not require an elaborate garnish.

This French prune custard works particularly well as the final course of a French-inspired dinner or as a chilled dessert for a relaxed gathering. Its dense yet creamy texture makes a satisfying contrast to lighter pastries, while the fruit provides natural sweetness and depth.

Coffee or tea pairs naturally with the chilled Far Breton, especially when served after dinner. The mild bitterness of coffee can complement the sweetness of the custard and dried fruit while allowing the vanilla and liquor notes to remain noticeable.

Final Thoughts

This Far Breton Aux Pruneaux recipe demonstrates how a short ingredient list can create a memorable French dessert through simple preparation and careful baking. The combination of prunes, milk, eggs, flour, sugar, vanilla, and Armagnac or rum produces a dessert with a distinctive balance of fruit, custard, and gentle sweetness.

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