Couronne aux pruneaux (Crown Cake with Prunes)
Combine the semolina, almond flour, and eggs; fill into a mold and bake. Serve with prunes poached in syrup.
Ingredients
prunes (chopped, soaked)
250 g
Armagnac
1 small cup
milk
0.5 l
vanilla pod (split)
1
semolina
110 g
ground cinnamon
1 coffee spoonful
caster sugar
100 g
eggs (yolks and whites separated)
2
butter
50 g
ground almonds
35 g
salt
1 pinch
sugar (for cooking the prunes)
50 g
Instructions
1
Prepare the prunes
The night before, soak the chopped prunes in a little hot water with a small cup of Armagnac.
2
Cook the semolina mixture
Bring the milk and split vanilla pod to a boil, scraping the seeds along the side of the pan. Sprinkle in the semolina while stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then add the cinnamon and 100 g of caster sugar.
3
Mix the batter
Separate the yolks and whites of 2 eggs; whisk the whites to stiff peaks. Mash 50 g of butter with a fork into a paste, then mix in the yolks and ground almonds. Continue stirring and gently incorporate the whisked whites, finally folding in the cooked semolina mixture.
4
Bake
Pour the batter into a crown-shaped mold. Preheat the oven to 205°C (thermostat 6/7), place the mold in a shallow pan of water (bain-marie) and bake for 25 minutes.
5
Cook the prune sauce
Use the prune soaking liquid (adjusted with water), add 50 g of sugar and cook the prunes until they swell and become tender. Drain them and reduce the remaining liquid to a thick syrup.
6
Assemble and decorate
Once the cake has cooled, unmold it, fill with the cooked prunes and moisten with the syrup. Garnish with citrus marmalade if desired. Store in the refrigerator.
