Prune and apple sticky pudding with Armagnac ice-cream, caramel and vanilla sauces

INGREDIENTS

(serves six-eight)

55g butter, at roomtemperature
170g caster sugar
225g plain flour
5g baking powder
170g dried prunes, stoned
1 medium egg, lightlybeaten
5g vanilla extract or essence
5g bicarbonate of soda
260ml boiling water
Caramel sauce, see below
500ml sauce anglaise

To garnish
3 Granny Smith apples
Icing sugar
30g butter
100ml Armagnac
Juice of half a lemon

For the Armagnac ice-cream
250ml milk
250ml double cream
12 egg yolks
175g caster sugar
50ml Armagnac
2 vanilla pods, split and deseeded

For the caramel sauce
450g caster sugar
125ml water
550ml whipping cream, heated almost to boiling

METHOD

Cream butter and sugar. Sift flour and baking powder together. Blitz the prunes in a blender until almost a purée, but still leave some small pieces. (A small handful of flour can be added to stop the prunes becoming to sticky at this stage.)

Start to add the egg to the batter in stages. Transfer the blitzed prunes to a bowl, then add the vanilla extract and bicarbonate of soda. Add the boiling water and incorporate well together.

Once all of the egg has been added, gently blend in flour and baking powder, then pour the prune mix into the batter and carefully blend together.

Three-quarter fill well-greased dariole moulds or ramekins. Place on to a tray, cover with clingfilm. Steam for about 40-50 minutes until cooked. (Do not lift the lid off the steamer too soon as this will impede the cooking process. Leave for at least 30 minutes before checking.)

For the garnish, peel and core apples. Take one apple and thinly slice crossways. Place slices on to a silicone mat. Lightly dust with icing sugar. Place into a95-100íC oven, leaving vent open, for about40-60 minutes to dry. (They should be cream in colour, go crisp on a cold surface and break with a snap when ready.) Store in an airtight container until service.

Dice the rest of the apples into 5mm pieces. Just before serving, melt the butter in a pan, sweat the diced apple off with the lemon juice, but make sure it retains a crispness. Pour the Armagnac over theapple and flambé. Reserve.

For the ice-cream, boil the milk. Cream with vanilla pods. Infuse for 10-15 minutes. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until light. Reboil the milk and cream and pour on to the yolk and sugar. Mix well together, return to the pan and cook until it coats the back of the spoon.Strain cream, add Armagnac. Chill and churn ice-cream.

For the caramel sauce, dissolve the sugar in the water. Bring solution slowly to the boil. Skim off impurities. Boil syrup quickly until it turns a golden caramel colour. Remove from heat and quickly but carefullypour cream on to the caramel. Cool, but keep warm.

To assemble dish, turn out puddings into hot bowls. Spoon diced and flambéd apple over top. Pour over caramel and anglaise sauces. Place a ball of Armagnac ice-cream on top. Garnish this with the apple crisps. Dust with a little icing sugar. Serve.

Bruce Sangster

Photo © Tom Stockhill