Far Breton

byBeth Le Manach Published: Updated:
byBeth Le Manach
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Far Breton is a delicious French recipe that originates from the Brittany region of France and is one of the region’s most famous desserts. It is made with basic ingredients and baked, creating a thick custardy texture that is enhanced with the flavor of dried prunes and rum.

According to legend, the Far Breton was invented by French sailors from Brittany, or “Bretagne” as it’s known in French. They were out on a long voyage and only had basic provisions and prunes to eat. They made this pudding with what they had and then added the rum to preserve it while at sea.

Far comes from the Breton word “farl” meaning batter and Breton refers to anything or anyone from the Bretagne region.

slices of a far breton on white plates with forks
A Far Breton is a thick chilled custard dessert with a luscious prune filling.

Difference Between Far and Clafoutis?

  • Clafoutis and Far Breton are a similar in that they are both chilled, baked custard desserts.
  • But Clafoutis is a looser custard. A far is thicker and denser. It’s easier to slice into squares and eat by hand if you wish.
  • A traditional clafoutis is typically a Cherry Clafoutis, but I also loved making Apricot Clafoutis too!
  • Far Breton is typically made with dried fruit like prunes, raisins, or dried apricots. But you can also skip the dried fruit and make a plain Far Breton too.
Eggs, Dried Prunes, milk, flour, salt and sugar laid out on a counter.
The best part about this recipe is the fact that it takes basic ingredients.

 

Ingredients:

  • Eggs This recipe has a lot of eggs! 6 to be exact. But that’s what gives it the nice custardy texture similar to a flan, but with less giggle and more structure.
  • Sugar I use white granulated sugar since it dissolves the best and keeps the texture silky smooth.
  • Flour I use regular all-purpose flour. This will give the far the texture you need to get those nice clean slices after it’s baked.
  • Milk This recipe also takes a lot of milk. Four cups so be sure to check your supply, before you start on this recipe.
  • Dried Whole Prunes Be sure to buy them pitted it will save you a step. Sun-Maid makes a good dried pitted prune. You can also swap the prunes for raisins or dried apricots if you prefer.
  • Dark Rum I love the flavor of the dark rum, especially when combined with the prunes, it’s so flavorful I don’t use any vanilla extract. But other recipes will call with Armagnac, a type of brandy from southwest France, or Cognac. If you don’t drink you could soak the prunes in warm water to soften, discard the water, and then add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract to the batter.
  • Salt will help heighten all the flavors. Just a good pinch is all you need.
Prunes in a container soaked in rum.
Prunes soaked in rum provide excellent flavor to the Far Breton.
Brownie cake scooped into a mug with ice cream

Step#1: Soak the Prunes

  • To get the best flavor from the prunes soak them in the rum for at least an hour.
  • Then when you have about 15-minutes left of soaking you can start to prep the ingredients for the batter.
  • Do not throw out the remaining rum in your soaking dish. You’ll add that to the batter too for even more flavor.
batter in a clear bowl with a whisk.
The batter will be thick and sticky before adding the warm milk.

Step#2: Make the Batter

  • I’ll admit, the technique for mixing the batter is a bit strange.
  • Traditional Far Breton recipes call for whisking the eggs, sugar, and flour together first to form a thick paste. But my instinct was to add all the other ingredients first and then whisk in the flour at the very end.
  • But I’ve tried it both ways and by making the recipe the traditional way, and then adding the warm milk, you’ll end up with a prettier far that is set in the center with undulating sides that doubles as a sort crust on this cake.
  • I think Grand-Mère knew best!
a far breton baked in a large casserole dish chilled.
Once chilled the Far Breton looks like this. Beautifully set in the center with undulating sides.

Step#3: Bake in the Oven

  • You’ll pour the batter into a greased, oven-safe baking dish. Don’t use a metal pan, since it can overcook the gentle custard.
  • Don’t use anything larger than that or your far will be thinner and not as thick.
  • You’ll bake for 1 hour until golden brown then allow it to cool for 40 minutes.
  • Then place in the refrigerator, overnight is best for that really lovely chilled texture.
  • Do not cover it or condensation will develop and make your far a bit soggy.
  • Serve for dessert or at tea time.
a far breton slice with fork and prunes on top.

More Dessert Recipes

A slice of far breton on a plate

Far Breton

Yield: serves 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Far Breton is a delicious French recipe that is made with basic ingredients and baked creating a thick custardy texture that is enhanced with the flavor of dried pruners and rum.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (227g) pitted prunes
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) dark rum
  • 1 ¼ cup(270g) sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 ⅔ (242 g) flour
  • 4 cups (960 ml) warm whole milk

Instructions

  1. Soak the prunes in the rum for one hour at room temperature.
  2. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C).
  1. Grease a 9" (23cm) x 12" (30 cm) casserole dish with baking spray
  2. Whisk together the eggs, sugar and flour until a thick pasty mixture forms. 
  3. Heat the milk until simmering and warm. Then slowly add the milk, one ladle at a time whisking after each addition, into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Then you can add the full amount and whisk to combine. 
  4. Then drain the prunes, but reserve the remaining rum and set it aside.
  5. Line the bottom of the casserole dish with the soaked prunes in an even layer.
  6. Whisk the remaining rum into the egg mixture.
  7. Pour the mixture into the casserole and bake for 1 hour.
  8. Allow to cool for 40 minutes before refrigerating overnight, uncovered, for the best chill and texture.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 154Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 152mgSodium: 106mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 9g
© Beth Le Manach
Cuisine: French / Category: Desserts
Brownie cake scooped into a mug with ice cream

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7 Comments

  1. Hi Beth, would this work in a 9×13 casserole dish? I’m having a hard time finding a 9×12. Very much looking forward to trying this recipe!

    Reply

      1. Update- I made it today for company. Reducing the cooking time to 50 minutes was perfect. It was delicious! The flavor reminded me of cannelle. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.

        Reply

  2. Bon matin Beth! This came up yesterday as a suggestion on YouTube. I made it last night with frozen dark cherries and enjoyed a slice this morning. So easy to make! I’ll get some prunes and try the more authentic way 🙂 We have alpine goats so I got a kick out of seeing your farm tour video too. This is a great recipe to use up lots of milk and eggs on the farm!

    Reply