1h preparation, 1h baking.

Ingredients

• 1l full cream or low-fat milk (never use skim milk in French Pâtisserie (F.P) ), except if your health imposes it)
• 200g butter (reduced salt, as always in F.P) + 5g for greasing
• 6 XL eggs
• 300g plain flour (never use raising flour in F.P.)
• 200g caster sugar
• 1 tsp of seeded vanilla paste, or better: an actual vanilla pod
• 250g pitted prunes (0.44 lb)
• 100ml (0.4 cup) of Bundi Rum or French Indies Rhum
• 1 tbsp of salt

Preparation

Half a day before, marinate the prunes in the rum, and top up with warm water.   You can use the satchel, and close it tight to avoid evaporation of alcohol.
Four hours before take the butter out of the fridge to make it soft.
In a food processor, put the flour and the salt, run, and add the eggs one by one through the well.
Melt the butter, and add it to the mixture.   Blend until consistent.
In a saucepan over the gas, warm up the milk with the sugar and the vanilla flavour or pod split in two.
When warm, pour in the milk through the processor well, and run until the dough is consistent.
Add in the soft butter.
Grease a rather heavy ovenproof ceramic or terracotta dish with butter and evenly distribute the drained prunes at the bottom.
Pour in the mixture over the prunes so that it completely covers them.  If the prunes stick out, choose a smaller dish.
Bake in hot oven at 200 C (390 F) until dry* (it can take anywhere between 50 min and 1.5 h).
Early in the baking process, cover with a aluminium foil.

Consumption suggestion

*Like for most cakes, it’s done when a knife blade gets out clean in the middle (or dew covered only).

Far is better eaten warm, and the micro-wave oven, exceptionally, works well here with the far.
I’ve found out that a sprinkle of salt over a slice before reheating adds this little je ne sais quoi that will take you back to it.