So, here it is—the promised additional post on eggs!
Sometimes, eggs can be used for sweet, not savory, dishes. This is one of those sweet ones. You won't see a lot of sweet ideas here, because it seems to me that Americans are far too interested in
sweets, and have completely drifted away from the idea that desserts are for special occasions. With our already empty-carb-and-sugar-laden diets, the last thing most of us need is more dessert. But. This one is a great way to use fruit, which is coming into season even in the ever-frigid Northeast. And the finished product is not overly sweet, but pleasantly, mildly so.
This recipe is slightly adapted from Bon Appetit mag. I saw it, saved it, meant to try it, months passed. Then, a dinner party loomed and I was responsible for dessert... But the hosts were foodie aficionados, people with sophisticated tastes. What's a classless kitchen clod to do?
Make clafoutis, of course! Now I had a reason to finally try that recipe.
(I'll confess that I had to doublecheck the pronunciation of the word. I'll also confess that I was not nailing it at first. Now? I'm practically French, people. Oh yeah. Me and Julia, baby—we got it goin' on...)
The clafoutis needed to be gluten free, though. Then I began to doubt myself (a mistake)--maybe I should find a more complicated recipe! A recipe designed to be GF! Maybe Bon A would let me down; perhaps my dessert wouldn't be impressive enough. I searched more recipes and then more, and felt the gnaw of panic in my belly. And then I threw caution aside and went back to BA, to the very simple, rustic, inexact instructions that suited me. I swapped in some Bob's Red mill GF flour. And I dragged out the big ol' cast iron pan.
My dessert was a hit. I whipped up some fresh, fluffy heavy cream (as IF I would serve a pressurized canister of Reddi Whip alongside a cast iron pan full of clafoutis! And Cool Whip?! I'm aghast at the mere suggestion! Banish the thought!) The end result was utterly simple, very adaptable, and rich without that cloying sweetness that seems to infect most American desserts.
This loose recipe, below, was my general guide, and one I'll be referencing again. It's a fab way to use fresh fruits. Or mix together insubstantial amounts of complementary fruits. Or use re-plumped, chopped up dried fruits... or thawed and very well drained frozen fruits. You name it. If you have fruit, some eggs, a bit of flour and dairy, then you, too, can serve clafoutis. You don't even really need cast iron! But it makes such a delightful presentation...
CLAFOUTIS
1¼ cups milk
⅓ cup white sugar
⅓ cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
a splash of almond extract
a couple pinches of salt
½ cup flour
a pint (approx.) of fruit that isn't very wet (think blueberries, sliced apples, figs, firm peaches, etc., but avoid strawberries—too juicy)
Prep the fruit. Whisk everything but the fruit. Place the fruit in a buttered dish or cast iron pan of about 10 inches (if cast, then preheat it). Pour the thin, crepe-like mixture over the fruit and bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. You'll see it begin to brown, and the edges will become a bit dry. Let it cool a tad, but serve still slightly warm if possible.
Enjoy the fruity, custard-y goodness! I highly recommend the fresh whipped. Until next time!