Airy pancake with apple and pear compote

Ingredients:

Compote

• 1 cup pitted prunes
• 4 bags of black tea
• 0.5 cups of sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 1 vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds
• 3 wide strips of orange zest
• 0.5 cups cognac or brandy
• 2 firm apples (such as Fuji), peeled and cut into wedges
• 3 Bere Bosc pears, peeled and cut into wedges

Pancake

• 4 tbsp (60 g) butter
• 4 large eggs
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup light cream
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. grated orange zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 0.5 tsp almond extract
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Preparation:

1. Prepare the compote: Soak the prunes and tea bags in 1 cup of boiling water for 20 minutes. Then remove the tea bags.
2. Transfer the prunes and their liquid to a small saucepan. Add the sugar, salt, vanilla seeds and pod, lemon zest, and cognac and simmer over medium heat until syrupy, 10-15 minutes. Add the apples and pears and reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Cover and refrigerate the compote for at least 2 hours or store for up to 1 week.
3. Prepare the pancake: Preheat oven to 220°C. Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of the melted butter into a blender (leave the rest in the skillet and turn off the stove). Add the eggs, salt, and milk to the blender and blend until smooth. Add the flour and blend until smooth. Add the orange zest, orange juice, and almond extract and blend.
4. Heat a skillet with butter over medium-high heat, swirling it to coat the bottom. Pour in the batter, place in the oven, and bake until golden brown, 15-20 minutes. Reheat the compote, if desired, and discard the lemon zest and vanilla bean. Dust the pancake with powdered sugar and serve with the compote.