Best 3 Armagnac Toffee Sauce Recipes

PRUNES IN ARMAGNAC

Steps:

• Place 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Discard the tea bags, add the prunes and honey, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 3 minutes to plump the prunes.
• Pour the prunes and all the liquid into a medium bowl and stir in the Armagnac, vanilla, orange juice, vanilla bean, and cinnamon sticks. With a vegetable peeler, cut 4 large strips of zest from 1 lemon and add to the mixture. Cut the lemon in half, cut 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices, and add to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 6 to 12 hours. (If you're not serving the prunes that day, refrigerate them in their liquid.)
• To serve, place the prunes in shallow dessert bowls and serve cold, at room temperature, or slightly warmed, spooning the macerating liquid over them. Add a scoop of ice cream, a drizzle of Armagnac, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkling of grated lemon zest. (You'll be surprised how much flavor this adds!) Serve immediately.

FLAMING BABAS à L'ARMAGNAC

Steps:

• In a mixer fitted with a paddle, mix the flour, sugar, yeast, eggs and salt. Switch to a dough hook and work on medium-low speed until dough is very smooth and elastic and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl, 5 to 15 minutes. Add the butter and work for 5 minutes.
• With floured hands, divide the dough into 16 balls. Place in a baba or small cupcake mold (butter if the molds are metal). Let rise till doubled, 1 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from molds and place on a rack overnight.
• Bring sugar, 1 1/2 cups water and Armagnac to a boil. Pour over dates and currants. Soak overnight.
• An hour or two before serving, bring syrup ingredients and 7 cups water to a boil. Let cool until just warm. Place babas in a bowl and strain the syrup over them. Let soak 30 to 45 minutes.
• Whip the cream, then whip in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla-bean seeds. Refrigerate.
• Melt butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Sauté bananas until soft, a few minutes per side. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and cook until the sugar caramelizes.
• Arrange bananas and some dates and currants on 8 plates. Drain the babas and place 2 on each plate. Top with cream. Warm and ignite the Armagnac, and pour it on top.

ARMAGNAC ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Have ready a large bowl of ice and cold water. In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan simmer 1/2 cup Armagnac (being careful not to let ignite) until reduced by about half. Stir in cream and milk and bring mixture to a simmer.
• In a bowl whisk together yolks and sugar. Add hot milk mixture to yolk mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Transfer mixture to cleaned saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until slightly thickened and a thermometer registers 170°F (do not let boil). Pour custard through a fine sieve into a metal bowl set in ice water. Stir in remaining tablespoon Armagnac and cool custard completely.
• Freeze custard in an ice-cream maker. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden. Armagnac ice cream may be made 1 week ahead.