Prune-vanilla specialty

Purée the dried prunes with the Vieille Prune. If the prunes are very firm, first roughly chop them with a small amount of liquid, then purée with the remaining alcohol until a smooth purée is achieved. The purée may still contain small fruit pieces.

Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt until smooth. Gradually add the eggs and incorporate evenly. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder, then fold briefly into the dough.

Wrap tightly and chill at 2–5°C.

Roll the black shortcrust pastry to 1.8 mm thickness and cut fluted discs, 4 cm Ø. Bake on a textured mat at 180°C for about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Temper the cocoa butter to 35°C and spray a thin layer onto the discs. Allow to crystallize at room temperature.

Mix the ground vanilla thoroughly into the gianduja until homogeneous.

Temper the couverture and combine with the prune purée. Fill into prepared magnetic molds:

• First, coat the mold with tempered couverture (about 1.5 cm high).
• Pipe 6 g of prune purée into each cavity.
• Cover with a small shortcrust pastry disc and seal with couverture.
• Only fill the mold to a level that allows clean closure.

Allow the vanilla gianduja to begin crystallizing slightly.

Fill 3.5 g portions into prepared praline molds (15-cavity, cone shape). Let the filling set slightly, seal with couverture, chill and unmold.

Pipe a small dot of tempered couverture onto each prune praline. Attach a sprayed shortcrust pastry disc on top, then place the vanilla gianduja praline. Decorate with silver leaf.