Fig Clafouti Recipes

BASIC CLAFOUTIS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and butter until the sugar is dissolved. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into a cast iron skillet or pie pan.
• 2. Now add your favorite fruit or flavoring (see below). Bake until the clafoutis is beautifully puffed and golden, 35-40 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Clafoutis Variations: Concord Grape Clafoutis: Once the batter is in the skillet, scatter 2 cups slightly crushed Concord or other black or red grapes on top. Cherry Clafoutis: Scatter 2 cups pitted cherries onto the batter once it's poured into pie plates. Pear Clafoutis with Pear Eau de Vie: Core 1 ripe pear and cut into pieces. Pour the batter into the skillet and top with the pear pieces. Bake. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons eau de vie and serve immediately. Milk Chocolate and Hazelnut Clafoutis: Melt 1 cup chopped milk chocolate in a large mixing bowl set above a simmering pot of water. Fold in the clafoutis batter until smooth and fully incorporated. Pour into a skillet or pie plate, sprinkle with 1/4 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, and bake.

FIG AND RASPBERRY CLAFOUTIS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the fresh figs, cut side up, in a buttered 2-quart baking or gratin dish. Sprinkle the dried figs and raspberries around and on top of the fresh figs. Set aside. In a blender or food processor, combine the flour, 1 1/4 cups of the cream, the sugar, eggs, and salt. Process until well-mixed, about 30 seconds. Pour the batter over the fruit. Sprinkle the top with the sliced almonds. Bake in the middle of the oven until the top is golden and the batter is slightly firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and let it cool for 15 minutes. In the meantime, combine the remaining 1-cup cream with the confectioners' sugar and the vanilla, and whip until soft peaks form. Spoon the clafoutis onto individual plates, and serve with whipped cream.

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.)

FIG CLAFOUTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie plate or shallow 1-quart baking dish. In a small bowl, toss figs with 1/4 cup baking mix; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, butter, and remaining cup baking mix. Add fig mixture; stir just to combine. Transfer to prepared pie plate; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until center of clafouti is set, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool just until warm. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving, if desired.

FRESH FIG CLAFOUTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°; generously butter a 10-inch pie plate; sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon sugar.
• In a large measuring cup or a bowl with a pouring spout, whisk the milk, cream, eggs, and vanilla together until well blended.
• In another bowl, sift the flour, ¼ cup sugar, and salt; gradually whisk the milk mixture into the flour mixture until fairly smooth.
• Pour the batter through a strainer into the prepared pie plate; pressing down any lumps of flour in the strainer to dissolve them.
• Arrange the figs, cut side up, on top of the batter; dot the surface with the pieces of butter.
• Bake 50-55 minutes until the edges are puffed and golden and cooked in the center.
• Transfer dish to a wire rack; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar while still warm.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.