PRUNES IN PORT WITH POSH CUSTARD& CANDIED PE CANS

TRY this fancy version of a long-gone, old-fashioned school dinner pud. Oldies will love it. Once we had it for a Christmas Eve dinner and everyone got decidedly tipsy. The prunes absorb the port and, if they are the squashy, ready- to-eat kind, you don’t have to boil them (see my tip right), so they are highly alcoholic. If you want to play safe, bring them to the boil in the port to drive off the alcohol. You can also cheat and use ready-made custard to save time — no one will notice!

SERVES 8

For the posh custard (600ml) ● 6 egg yolks ● 1 tbsp granulated sugar ● 1½ tbsp cornflour ● 1 vanilla pod ● 1 pint (570ml) milk

For the prunes

● 250g ready-to-eat stoneless prunes

● 300ml ruby port

To serve

● 150ml thick cream ● 12 candied pecan halves (see recipe right, optional)

FIRST, make the custard. Whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl. Then, in a saucepan, mix the sugar and cornflour together. Split the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds into the saucepan. Stir in a little of the milk to make a paste, then add the vanilla pod skin and the rest of the milk. Stir over a high heat until boiling. Turn the heat down and simmer for 30 seconds while stirring, then remove from the heat. Lift out the vanilla pod. Pour the hot milk over the egg yolks while whisking until it thickens. If serving cold, put the custard in a jug and cover with cling film to prevent a skin forming. To make the rest of the dessert, blitz the prunes with the port in a food processor, adding the port to taste. Divide half of the prune mixture between 8 cocktail glasses, top with the custard, then add the remaining prunes and finally spoon on the cream and the candied pecans.