Vanilla Prunes Recipes

GREAT-GRANDMA'S PRUNE ROLL

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm milk. Add the butter, shortening, egg yolks, sugar and salt and 3 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Cover and refrigerate overnight., In a large saucepan, cook plums in water 12-15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Mash; add sugar and lemon juice. Cook for 8-10 minutes over low heat until thickened. Cool and refrigerate., Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into a 3-in. x 9-in. rectangle. Dot with butter; sprinkle with cinnamon. Spread about 1/3 cup plum filling down the center of each. , Fold a third of the dough lengthwise over filling. Fold remaining dough over top; pinch seams to seal and tuck ends under. Place seam side down in two greased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 2 hours or until doubled. , Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. Combine the glaze ingredients; drizzle over loaves.

PRUNES POACHED IN RED WINE

Steps:

• Place prunes in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 5 minutes, then drain.
• Meanwhile, combine wine and honey in a medium saucepan. Using the tip of a paring knife, scrape seeds from the vanilla bean halves into wine and add pods. Add cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes.
• Add prunes to wine and bring back to a simmer. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add zest. Remove cinnamon stick.
• Cover and let sit for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled. Prunes will keep for 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

STEWED PRUNES RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the prunes in a small saucepan.
• Add the water, vanilla, and cinnamon. Gently stir.
• Bring to a boil (this will likely take about 5 minutes). Gently stir again, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the prunes are soft and swimming in syrup.
• Transfer the stewed prunes to a heat-proof glass storage container. Cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This allows the syrup to thicken and flavors to develop. Serve alone as dessert, or spoon on top of plain Greek yogurt.

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.

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.

VANILLA CUSTARD WITH PRUNES POACHED IN LEMON VERBENA AND MAPLE CARAMEL

Steps:

• Prepare an infusion with the lemon verbena or tea bags and 2 cups boiling water. Add the prunes and let soak overnight. Drain the prunes thoroughly and pat dry. Set aside.
• In a small, heavy saucepan, heat the maple syrup to 275 degree, watching carefully to make sure the sugar does not boil over. Remove from heat and whisk in cream and butter. Pour into 6 3-inch ramekins.
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
• If using vanilla bean, bring milk and bean to a simmer in a heavy saucepan; remove from heat and let steep 10 minutes. Strain, and discard the vanilla bean. If using vanilla extract, heat the milk and stir in the vanilla.
• Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar and pour in the infused milk. Mix gently. Place 3 prunes in each ramekin and divide the custard among them. Place in a hot-water bath and bake for 45 minutes, or until custard is set. Chill 2 hours. Unmold onto individual serving plates and serve.

STEWED PRUNES

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients into a medium saucepan. Cover. Bring to the boil, give a stir or 2 and then turn the heat down and simmer covered for 15 minutes. At the end of the 15 minute cooking time turn the heat off and leave on the stove for 10 minutes. Pour into a dish large enough to contain the contents of the saucepan. Cool. When cool, cover (so nothing in the fridge falls into or spills into the dish), and put in the fridge. Eat!

PRUNE-VANILLA APPLESAUCE

Steps:

• Peel, core, and slice apples.
• In a large pot, bring apples, lemon juice, prunes, vanilla and 2 cups water to a boil over high. Reduce heat and simmer until apples are very soft and falling apart, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Mash with a potato masher or pulse in a food processor until smooth with small chunks remaining. Add sugar.
• Let cool, then transfer applesauce to airtight containers.

VANILLA PRUNES

Steps:

• Place the prunes, water, juice and extract in a saucepan and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pan and add the pod too.
• Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes, or until the prunes are very soft and most of the water has evaporated and you are left with a lovely syrup.
• When cool, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge.