Ingredients

• 600ml/1 pint stock syrup
• 1 tbsp Earl Grey tea leaves
• 32 Agen prunes, soaked in cold water for 24 hours, drained and stoned
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 75ml/3fl oz good Armagnac
• 5 egg yolks
• 300ml/½ pint double cream
• 75g/3oz caster sugar, dissolved in 3 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp water, for dissolving sugar

Method

1. Make the Earl Grey syrup: bring the stock syrup to the boil, add the tea leaves, remove from the heat and allow to infuse for 6 minutes. Pass the syrup through a sieve and add the prunes to the hot liquid. Stir in the lemon juice and 25ml/1fl oz of the Armagnac. Cool, then chill until ready to use.
2. Make the Armagnac parfait: in a food processor, whisk the egg yolks until very pale and greatly increased in volume. Whip the cream with the rest of the Armagnac until it just starts to thicken. Boil the dissolved sugar and water mixture until it reaches soft-ball stage. (To check, dip a cold spoon into the mixture so it is coated, dip into cold water until set, then pinch a little between your finger and thumb — it's ready when it can be rolled into a soft ball.)
3. With the mixer on full speed, slowly pour the soft-ball sugar on to the yolks. Reduce the speed by half and whisk for a further 5 minutes. Fold in the Armagnac cream and pour the mixture into 12 dariole moulds or ramekins. Freeze for at least 12 hours.
4. Heat the prunes and syrup until warm. Remove the parfaits from the freezer, run the tip of a knife around the top, invert the moulds and give them a good tap on a hard surface to help release them. Turn the parfaits out on to the centre of each plate. Arrange four to five prunes around each one with a little Earl Grey syrup.

Notes