Chocolate Prune Armagnac Ice Cream Food

PRUNES IN ARMAGNAC

Steps:

• Place 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags, add the prunes and honey, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 3 minutes to plump the prunes.
• Pour the prunes and all the liquid into a medium bowl and stir in the Armagnac, vanilla, orange juice, vanilla bean, and cinnamon sticks. With a vegetable peeler, cut 4 large strips of zest from 1 lemon and add to the mixture. Cut the lemon in half, cut 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices, and add to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 6 to 12 hours. (If you're not serving the prunes that day, refrigerate them in their liquid.)
• To serve, place the prunes in shallow dessert bowls and serve cold, at room temperature, or slightly warmed, spooning the macerating liquid over them. Add a scoop of ice cream, a drizzle of Armagnac, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkling of grated lemon zest. (You'll be surprised how much flavor this adds!) Serve immediately.

PRUNE-ARMAGNAC ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Place the quartered prunes in a small saucepan with the Armagnac and 1 tablespoons of sugar. Heat over medium-low heat just until the Armagnac starts to bubble. Remove from the heat, cover and let stand at least 2 hours or several days in the fridge.
• When ready to make the ice cream, purée the prunes (be sure to save about 8 prune pieces for garnish) and their liquid in a food processor along with the sour cream, milk, the remaining 6 Tbsps. sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Pulse the mixture until it's almost smooth but leave a few little bits of prunes remaining. I do this by reserving a few prunes & throwing them in for just a few pulses.
• Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for about an hour (minimum), then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Serve garnished with a dusting of cocoa powder & a macerated prune piece on the side.

CHOCOLATE PRUNE ARMAGNAC ICE CREAM

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine the prunes and 1/3 cup water and simmer the mixture for 5 to 7 minutes, or until almost all of the liquid is evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat, add the Armagnac, and let the prunes macerate for 3 hours. Drain the prunes in a sieve set over a bowl, reserving the liquid, and chop them coarse.
• In a bowl whisk together the sugar, the cornstarch, the yolks, and a pinch of salt, add the milk, scalded, in a stream, whisking constantly with a wooden spoon. Boil the custard, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, add the vanilla and the chocolate, and whisk the mixture until the chocolate is melted. Transfer the custard mixture to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and let it cool, stirring. Stir in the cream and the prunes with the reserved liquid and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

PRUNE-ARMAGNAC ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Place the prunes and enough water to cover in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then turn off the heat. Let the prunes cool in the liquid, then drain them well. Stir in the Armagnac, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• In a large, heavy saucepan, bring the milk, cream, and 1 cup of the sugar to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and add a little to the egg yolk mixture to warm it, whisking constantly to keep the yolks from cooking. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the hot milk mixture, whisking the milk constantly as you pour.
• Return the custard to the stove and cook it over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from the heat and strain it into a bowl. Stir in the salt and let cool completely.
• Chill the custard until it's thoroughly cold, at least 4 hours. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Fold the Armagnac-soaked prunes into the ice cream immediately after freezing while it's still soft. Transfer to a container and place in the freezer until frozen solid, at least 2 hours.

CHOCOLATE AND PRUNE MARQUISE WITH ARMAGNAC CRèME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• To make the marquise:
• In a small bowl let the prunes macerate in the Armagnac for at least 2 hours, or until they have absorbed most of the liquid. In a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water combine the chocolate and the butter and heat the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat, stir in the prune mixture and the grated zest, and let the mixture cool completely. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the heavy cream until it just holds stiff peaks, whisk about one fourth of it into the chocolate mixture, and fold in the remaining cream gently but thoroughly.
• Line an oiled 5- to 6-cup terrine or loaf pan with plastic wrap and pour the chocolate mixture into it, smoothing the top. Cover the terrine with plastic wrap and chill it overnight. Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the terrine, invert the terrine onto a plate, and peel off the remaining plastic wrap. Pour 1/4 cup of the Armagnac crème anglaise onto each of 8 dessert plates, cut the marquise into 3/4-inch slices with a sharp knife, and arrange a slice on each plate. Garnish the desserts with the candied orange zest.
• To make the armagnac creme anglaise:
• In a small heavy saucepan combine the half-and-half and the vanilla bean, bring the half-and-half just to a boil, and remove the pan from the heat. In a bowl whisk together the eggs and the sugar until the mixture is combined well and add the scalded half-and-half mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Transfer the mixture to a heavy saucepan and cook it over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens (175°F. on a candy thermometer), but do not let it boil. Strain the crème anglaise through a fine sieve into a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water, let it cool, stirring, and stir in the Armagnac. Chill the sauce, covered, for at least 2 hours, or until it is very cold. The sauce may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Makes 2 cups.
• To make the candied orange zest:
• In a small heavy saucepan combine the zest and the liqueur, simmer the mixture until the liquid is just evaporated, and spread the zest on a sheet of wax paper, separating the pieces with a fork. Let the zest cool completely. The candied zest may be made 2 days in advance and kept between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container. Makes about 1/2 cup.

ARMAGNAC-POACHED PRUNES WITH VANILLA ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Combine Armagnac, sugar, 1/2 cup water, cinnamon and ginger in medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir mixture over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add prunes and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer prune mixture to medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. (Can be prepared 4 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Remove cinnamon, ginger and vanilla bean from prune mixture. Divide prune mixture among 6 bowls. Top with scoops of vanilla ice cream.