Originally published at customerservant.com. You can comment here or there.

If you like prunes, then this might sound apetizing to you.
I don’t, so it doesn’t.
This was originally published in the Toronto Star, in an article entitled “Dinner Parties: The Warming Trend”, on 1 April 2006.

Ice Cream

There must be something in Stratford’s water that makes local chefs and home
cooks so inspired. I wondered where this easy ice cream had been all my life
when I ate it with a whole poached pear at a friend’s house. She uses
Häagen-Dazs.

This goes well with the Roasted Apple Crostata or any fruit dish.

1 cup pitted prunes

1/3 cup armagnac or good brandy

500-mL tub good quality vanilla ice cream

Halve prunes. Place in shallow bowl with armagnac. Marinate at least 1 hour,
stirring to coat once or twice. Add prunes with juices to food processor;
add
ice cream. Pulse a few times until prunes are coarsely chopped. (I leave
some largish chunks for texture.) Transfer to airtight container. Chill in
freezer
until firm, at least a couple of hours. Makes about 6 to 8 servings.

The author can be contacted via email at