Recipe and photo by Cat Bude
Far Breton is a traditional Breton dessert from Brittany, a region in northwest France known for its rich culinary heritage. This French flan-like dessert is typically filled with dried prunes or raisins and flavored with rum, making it a cozy and comforting treat. With its smooth, rich texture and slight sweetness, Far Breton is a favorite for those seeking classic French dessert recipes.
This baked custard dessert is simple to make with basic ingredients: eggs, flour, sugar, milk, and dried fruit. The result is a tender, custard-like flan with a rich flavor, making it an ideal choice for anyone who loves custard dessert recipes. It’s a nostalgic favorite for the author Cat Bude, whose family has roots in northern Brittany.
Far Breton is similar to clafoutis but with a firmer texture, making it perfect for those who enjoy easy French desserts with dried fruit like prunes. It’s a great make-ahead option, ideal for gatherings or simple desserts to enjoy at home.
For more authentic French recipes and traditional French desserts,click here to purchase French Kitchen Lessons: Recipes & Stories from Normandy’s Rabbit Hill Farm and explore the culinary traditions of Normandy and Brittany.
« Far Breton is a custardy flanlike dessert that hails from Normandy’s sister region on the west. With its rugged coastline and windy and temperamental climate, there is no question why one might crave this cozy, slightly boozy, and delicately sweet dessert. Not only did my mother-in-law grow up on a farm in northern Brittany, it is also the ancestral home on my father-in-law’s side. This recipe is a nostalgic favorite. «
Far Breton
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) dark rum, cognac, or brandy
- 8 ounces (225 g) pitted dried plums or prunes
- 3 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
- 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- ¼ cup (60 g) salted butter, melted and brought to room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup (80 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
Instructions
- One day ahead, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, warm the cognac and add the dried plums. The plums will absorb all the liquid and become soft and sweet. Remove the pan from the stove, cover, and set aside.
- Heat the oven to 400°F / 200°C.
- In a large bowl or in the bowl of a large blender, mix the eggs and additional yolk with the milk and whisk or blend until combined. Add the sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and flour and whisk or blend until smooth. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
- Butter a 12 by 8 by 2-inch / 30 by 20 by 5 cm rectangular baking dish and dust with flour.
- Lay the plums uniformly across the bottom, then cover with the custard batter. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden on the top.
- Serve warm or cold, cut into rectangular pieces.
Excerpted with permission from French Kitchen Lessons: Recipes & Stories from Normandy’s Rabbit Hill Farm by: Cat Bude published by Hardie Grant Books, October 2024, RRP $40.00 Hardcover.