Cla-Who??
A couple of years ago, I stumbled onto a recipe on Pinterest for clafoutis. Say what?! Pronounced KLAH-foo-ti, this French dessert looks quite impressive and complicated. In fact, it is quite simple and extremely delicious. It is a cross between a custard and a flan in texture, and is a great way to incorporate summer fruits.
Traditionally, the French make clafoutis with unpitted black cherries. The theory behind this is that the pits contain benzaldehyde, which lends an almond flavoring to the dessert. The idea of spitting pits out while eating dessert is less than appealing to me, but maybe someday I will experiment with this – after everyone has had their dental appliances removed.
Cherries are currently in season, but so are so many other delicious summer fruits. I chose to make this recipe using gorgeous, juicy nectarines and sweet blueberries. But you can easily substitute any fresh pitted fruits or berries that are in season.
The beauty of this dessert is that it is light and eggy and not too sweet. This allows the natural flavor of the ripe fruits to shine through. Honestly, I could easily eat it for breakfast, too.
The batter is whirred together in the blender, and it can be baked in any oven-safe baking pan. It is so simple, it can become a go-to dessert to impress company, or just a wonderful way to use up an over-abundance of fresh fruit.
I adapted a recipe from www.honestfare.com, who adapted her recipe from Julia Child, so you know it must be good. I changed up the fruit used, and I used vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract. It is a simple and pure recipe that needs no major change.
We devoured this dessert in 2 days flat, and I am already planning on making another batch using pitted cherries this time around. It is such a satisfying summer dessert and it really is as easy to make as a box of brownies.
Throw some strawberries, raspberries and blueberries in it and it will be an impressive dessert for your 4th of July party. If you make it with any other yummy combinations, I would love to hear about it.
We will be traveling next week, so I wish you a Happy 4th of July in advance and I will catch up with you all when we are back in town. In the meantimes, follow me on Instagram to see fun traveling food photos.
AuthorMelissa JoyDifficultyBeginnerPreheat the oven to 350º. Generously butter the bottom and sides of an oven-proof baking dish.
Clean and prepare the fruit, and set aside.
In a blender, mix the milk, eggs, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, flour, lemon zest, and 1/3 of the granulated sugar. Blend until nice and bubbly.
Pour about 1/4 inch of the batter into the bottom of your baking dish and pop in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until a film forms on top of the batter. Remove from the oven.
Add the fruit to the top of the batter, spreading it evenly.
After the fruit is distributed, sprinkle the rest of the granulated sugar evenly over the fruit.
Pour the rest of the batter evenly over the top of the sugared fruit.
Bake again for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and set. My baking dish was only about 2 inches deep. If you use a deeper dish, increase the baking time 10-15 minutes. To check if it's set, insert a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. You can refrigerate any leftovers for up to a week.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350º. Generously butter the bottom and sides of an oven-proof baking dish.
Clean and prepare the fruit, and set aside.
In a blender, mix the milk, eggs, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, flour, lemon zest, and 1/3 of the granulated sugar. Blend until nice and bubbly.
Pour about 1/4 inch of the batter into the bottom of your baking dish and pop in the oven for about 5 minutes, or until a film forms on top of the batter. Remove from the oven.
Add the fruit to the top of the batter, spreading it evenly.
After the fruit is distributed, sprinkle the rest of the granulated sugar evenly over the fruit.
Pour the rest of the batter evenly over the top of the sugared fruit.
Bake again for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and set. My baking dish was only about 2 inches deep. If you use a deeper dish, increase the baking time 10-15 minutes. To check if it's set, insert a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, it's done.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. You can refrigerate any leftovers for up to a week.
