Basic Clafoutis Recipes

CLAFOUTIS AUX CERISES (CLASSIC CLAFOUTI)

Steps:

• Combine milk and vanilla bean in a pot and steep for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8-inch baking dish with butter. Spread out cherries in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
• Combine 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup sugar and salt in a bowl. Add eggs one at a time; beat with an electric mixer after each addition until smooth and creamy.
• Remove vanilla bean from milk and discard. Add milk to egg mixture. Pour in heavy cream; mix until smooth. Pour mixture evenly over cherries.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top of clafoutis is golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar on top. Let cool slightly before serving so that the clafoutis is set. Serve warm or at room temperature.

JULIA CHILD'S BERRY CLAFOUTIS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a medium-size flameproof baking dish at least 1 1/2 inches deep.
• Place the milk, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour in a blender. Blend at top speed until smooth and frothy, about 1 minute.
• Pour a 1/4-inch layer of batter in the baking dish. Turn on a stove burner to low and set dish on top for a minute or two, until a film of batter has set in the bottom of the dish. Remove from heat.
• Spread berries over the batter and sprinkle on the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter and smooth with the back of a spoon. Place in the center of the oven and bake about 50 minutes, until top is puffed and browned and a tester plunged into its center comes out clean.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving. (Clafoutis need not be served hot, but should still be warm. It will sink slightly as it cools.)

FRUIT & ALMOND CLAFOUTIS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Oil or butter a 23cm flan dish or tin (not loose-bottomed) and scatter the berries over the base.
• Whizz all the batter ingredients in a blender until smooth, pour it over the fruits and bake for 20-25 mins until risen and golden brown. Serve warm.

CHEAT'S CLAFOUTIS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5/fan 170C. Lightly oil a shallow 1.3 litre baking dish. Gently heat the cherries and jam in a large saucepan, stirring all the time until the jam melts over the cherries. Tip them into the dish and sprinkle with the lemon zest and juice.
• Whizz the flour, eggs, milk, cinnamon and sugar in a food processor for 30 seconds until smooth. Pour over the cherries, then put the dish on a baking tray and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the custard is set and the jam is beginning to bubble through. Dust with icing sugar and serve hot.