Chocolate and prunes are a heavenly combination, and this dark chocolate mousse recipe works that combination to its advantage. The addition of Earl Grey ice cream provides a nice, creamy counterpoint to the rich prunes and chocolate. You can buy the dried orange powder online required for this chocolate dessert from Kevin Mangeolles
Method
1.
For the poached prunes and purée, put all the ingredients in a pan, bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes
2.
Allow to cool, then remove the stones from the prunes. Place ½ the prunes in a container with the orange zest, cinnamon and tea bags and cover with enough syrup to submerge the prunes
3.
Liquidise the rest of the prunes and syrup and pass through a sieve
4.
Boil the water and sugar to 120°C, then pour over the whisked yolks and keep whisking until cold
5.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water
6.
Fold into the yolks then fold in the whipped cream. Put into a piping bag and chill
7.
For the chocolate and prune cake, preheat the oven to 150C/Gas mark 2
8.
Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Then add the eggs and fold in the ground almonds, cocoa and 100g of the prune purée
9.
Put onto a baking tray and bake for approx 45 minutes or until springy to the touch
10.
Allow to cool and slice into rectangles around 1cm thick
11.
For the Earl Grey tea ice cream, bring the milk to the boil with the tea bags
12.
Mix the yolks and sugar and add the milk. Put in the pan and cook on a low heat until it thickens
13.
Allow to cool and pass through a sieve. Put into an ice cream machine and churn, then put into the freezer until needed
14.
To serve, place dots of the purée on the right hand side of the plate and the cake on the left hand side
15.
Cut a prune in ½ and place on the cake, then pipe chocolate mousse in between the prune
16.
Put another piece of chocolate cake on top and sprinkle with dried orange powder, then finish with a scoop of the ice cream
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