It’s prune season

Every year some friends, Amanda & Steve from Griffith come over to Adelaide to visit and they always bring a box a prunes. The gift of food (and wine) are the best gifts to give, they always bring so much job – especially to me. I couldn’t tell you my favourite foods because I’m very happy to try everything but there are a few things I really enjoy, and prunes is on that list.

The prunes we have been given are from the DeRossi’s farm, they dry them after harvesting. I usually marinade them in Leone Tawny Rum Liquor, the prunes absorb the liquor and grow nice and juicy and are absolutely delicious to eat straight from the jar or with ice cream.

If you have more time on your hands maybe you could try this delicious recipe.

Chocolate, prune & pecan torte

4 egg whites
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup pitted prunes, finely chopped
200 ml Leone Tawny Rum Liquor
200g quality dark chocolate, finely chopped
3 tablespoons corn flour

Marinade the prunes in the Leone Tawny Rum Liquor overnight, the prunes should be completely covered with the Tawny Rum Liquor.

Preheat oven to 200C. Greases and line the base of a 22cm round spring form tin.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt, gradually add the caster sugar, a little at a time, beating until the mixture holds stiff, glossy peaks. Mix the pecans, chocolate and corn flour together. Drain the prunes from the Tawny Rum Liquor, set aside the Tawny Rum Liquor. Gently but thoroughly fold in the pecans and chocolates into the egg whites alternatively mix in the prunes. Spoon the mixture into the tin, smoothing the top evenly.

Bake for 45 minutes until the top is a dark brown colour. Allow the torte to cool in the pan on a wire rack before running a knife around the edge and turning it out onto a cake plate. Cool the torte and serve with whipped cream. If you whip the cream with a few spoonfuls of the left over Tawny Rum Liquor and some icing sugar it will have a really rich and tasty consistency.