Guy Branum's Traditional Far Breton Recipe (2024)

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Guy Branum, the Unofficial Official Ambassador for California Prunes, shares his delicious recipe for Far Breton- an easy, classic French dessert that is a rich custard that is studded with Cognac-soaked prunes.

Guy Branum's Traditional Far Breton Recipe (1)

What is a Far Breton?

Similar to a clafoutis, a Far Breton is an iconic prune dessert from the Brittany region of France, and Guy Branum’s version is buttery, rich, and filled with brandy-spiked prunes.

What does Far Breton mean?

In most parts of France, the word “flan” refers to a custard-like dessert. In Brittany, however, they use the word “far” instead of flan. Breton is the word used for the people of Brittany. Hence, the name Far Breton very loosely translates to “flan from Brittany”.

Guy Branum's Traditional Far Breton Recipe (2)
Guy Branum's Traditional Far Breton Recipe (3)

What ingredients are used to make Far Breton?

The star ingredient of this recipe is inarguably the brandy-soaked prunes – but it does require a few other ingredients, too. Here’s what you’ll need to make Guy Branum’s Far Breton recipe:

Milk

Eggs

Sugar

Butter

Vanilla

Salt

Flour

Black tea

Prunes

Brandy (or rum)

How to make Far Breton

You’ll start by boiling the prunes with a brandy and black tea for about 3 minutes. Let the prunes cool.

Add the milk, eggs, sugar, 5 tablespoons of melted butter, vanilla, salt, and flour to a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, then set aside for at least two hours.

Pro-tip: You can prep the batter and prunes ahead of time! Just refrigerate overnight, then finish your Far Breton the following day (we know, waiting is the worst).

The next day (or a few hours later), preheat your oven to 400F (170C). Then, melt two tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Pour the batter in, and place the prunes on top of the batter (try to space them out somewhat evenly).

Remove the skillet from the stovetop and place your Far Breton in the oven for 45-50 minutes.

Once the custard is set and the top is a golden brown color, remove the Far Breton from the oven and enjoy!

Guy Branum's Traditional Far Breton Recipe (4)

Guy Branum's Traditional Far Breton Recipe (5)

Guy Branum’s Traditional Far Breton Recipe

Guy Branum

Similar to a clafoutis, a Far Breton is an iconic prune dessert in the Brittany region of France, and Guy Branum’s version is buttery, rich, and filled with brandy-spiked prunes.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 8 servings

Calories 337 kcal

Equipment

  • Cast iron or oven-safe skillet

  • Food processor or blender

Ingredients

  • 25 pitted California prunes
  • cup brandy or rum
  • cup strong black tea
  • 2 cups milk
  • 3 eggs
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 5 tablespoon unsalted butter melted + 2 tablespoons
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • Combine the prunes, brandy (or rum), and black tea in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then strain and discard the liquid. Let the prunes cool thoroughly.

  • In a blender or food processor, combine the milk, eggs, sugar, 5 tablespoons of melted butter, vanilla, salt, and flour. Blend until smooth, then let the batter sit at least 2 hours to hydrate the flour. The batter and prunes can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated overnight.

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (205C).

  • Heat a cast iron skillet over medium, then melt in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Let the solids brown a little, then swirl the butter around your pan and pour in the batter. Gently add the prunes, distributing them throughout the pan.

  • Remove the skillet from the burner and place on a center rack in the oven. Cook for 45-50 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is a rich, golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve warm!

Video

Notes

Once you’ve mastered this delicious Far Breton recipe, try thisGooey Chocolate Pudding CakebyChef Peter Sidwell or Claire Saffitz’s Mascarpone Cake with Red Wine Prunes next!

Nutrition

Calories: 337kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 6gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 85mgPotassium: 359mgFiber: 3gSugar: 34gVitamin A: 651IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 102mgIron: 1mg

Keyword clafoutis, far breton, guy branum, Holiday

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Guy Branum's Traditional Far Breton Recipe (6)

Who is Guy Branum?

Guy Branum is an American actor and comedian. He also happens to be the official unofficial Ambassador for California Prunes. Guy grew up in Yuba City, California, where he was surrounded by prune orchards. He’s passionate about his love for California Prunes – and is on a mission to convince the planet (or at least most of Hollywood) that they’re wrong about prunes.

Want to try more fabulous desserts starring California Prunes?

Pecan Sticky Buns

Plain old cinnamon rolls can step aside. These fluffy Sticky Buns are loaded with toasted pecans and chunks of California prune and topped with a glossy, buttery, sticky glaze for beyond-bakery flavor.

Guy Branum's Traditional Far Breton Recipe (8)

Old-Fashioned Prune Cake

What’s a prune grower’s favorite way to enjoy prunes? Well, if you ask the Mitchell family, it’s this Old-Fashioned Prune Cake. A soft, prune-studded spice cake is covered in a buttery-sweet glaze that has everyone going back for another slice (or two.)

Guy Branum's Traditional Far Breton Recipe (9)

Apple, Prune and Brandy Slab Pie

Apple pie is a classic American dish. This delightful Apple, Prune and Brandy slab pie from Eat the Love is the perfect way to feed a crowd.

Mascarpone Cake with Prunes and Red Wine

Claire Saffitz‘s tangy-light mascarpone cake is studded with sweet, flavorful prunes simmered in red wine. It’s the kind of recipe that will make a dessert person out of anyone (if you know you know…check out Claire’s cookbook).

Did you try this recipe? Maybe you’ve got a favorite recipe using California Prunes that you’d like to share with us? Snap a pic and share it on social using #caprunes.

Like what you see? Be sure to follow California Prunes on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter for more delicious recipes!

Guy Branum's Traditional Far Breton Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Guy Branum's Traditional Far Breton Recipe? ›

Its base is similar in composition to a clafoutis batter: a flan-style eggs-and-milk custard with flour added. Prunes or raisins are common additions. Numerous recipes available at popular websites suggest soaking the dried fruits in alcohol; this is not traditional practice but makes an interesting variation.

What is Far Breton made of? ›

Its base is similar in composition to a clafoutis batter: a flan-style eggs-and-milk custard with flour added. Prunes or raisins are common additions. Numerous recipes available at popular websites suggest soaking the dried fruits in alcohol; this is not traditional practice but makes an interesting variation.

What does "far" mean in Breton? ›

Far, which in Latin means "wheat", has been the delight of Breton homes for over three hundred years! Originally salted, in the 18th century it was a dish made from buckwheat flour that was served to accompany meat.

Why is it called Breton? ›

Etymology. The word Brittany, along with its French, Breton and Gallo equivalents Bretagne, Breizh and Bertaèyn, derive from the Latin Britannia, which means "land of the Britons". This word had been used by the Romans since the 1st century to refer to Great Britain, and more specifically the Roman province of Britain.

What are Breton houses made of? ›

They are often made from granite (for example in the Côtes d'Armor) and natural slate roofs are traditional - having taken over from thatch in the 19th century, because of the lesser fire risk.

What is Basque made of? ›

Typically Gâteau Basque is constructed from layers of a butter-sugar wheat flour pastry dough (in this case pâte sablée, not brisée) with a filling of either black cherry jam or almond or vanilla pastry cream.

What are the roots of Breton? ›

Historical context. Bretons came to north-west France from Britain in the fifth century as Celtic refugees fleeing the invasions of Angles and Saxons. They brought with them the Welsh and Cornish languages from which Breton evolved as a distinct language.

What is the difference between sable Breton and Palet Breton? ›

The main difference between the original process of making Sablé Bretons and Palet Bretons was the butter! While Palets were made with softened butter, Sablés were made with cold butter. The pastry chef started by mixing cold butter and flour, gradually adding other ingredients.

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