This week I decided to bake something French for travel week. I originally thought I'd make a classic creme brulee, but after flipping through Julia Child's wonderful Mastering the Art of French Cooking, I landed on a clafouti instead. The anniversary of Julia Child's birth is approaching and in order to celebrate, I thought it was time to try mastering something new.
So what is a clafouti (pronounced kla-foo-tee)? It's a custard-style baked French dessert, traditionally made with cherries (but you can substitute most any fruit). The batter is similar to pancake batter, but the result is more like a flan. It's wonderfully delicious served warm with powdered sugar on top, and is ridiculously easy to put together. To make this tonight, read more
Clafouti
From Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
3 cups cherries, pitted (see *Note)
1/3 cup sugar
powdered sugar
In a blender blend the milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour. Pour a 1/4 inch layer of the batter in a buttered 7 or 8 cup lightly buttered fireproof baking dish. Place in the oven until a film of batter sets in the pan [this took about 3 minutes]. Remove from the heat and spread the cherries over the batter. Sprinkle on the 1/3 cup of sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour. The clafouti is done when puffed and brown and and a knife plunged in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve warm.
*Note: I ended up halving the cherries and soaking them in a mixture of brandy and sugar for an hour.
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Graeme Black
Max Mara
Jerome Dreyfuss
wow, I was just thinking of making this tonight! I've spent the last 15 mins looking for a good recipe.
1Clafouti(s) is such a weird word, I know!
But it looks divine!
2Even though I tasted this yesterday for a second when I glanced at that pic I thought it was a slice of pizza!
3Oh my God - this looks absolutely incredible! I can't wait to make it!
4Hey YumSugar--what kind of dish did you use? I've heard you can do it in a cast-iron pan too. Thoughts on what would work best?
5that truly looks delicious
6i LOVE the baking recipes you but on here every week!! Thanks YuM!
7i made it tonight and as my sister was coming down the stairs she says "who's making eggs?" it wasn't as good as i thought it would be.
8sweete - i used a cast iron pan, but you can use a baking dish.
piecesbroken - was it the texture or flavor that you wanted to taste better? for me it was the texture. I liked it a lot, but think i might have enjoyed a cherry tart instead.
9looks easy to vegan-ize so i might try this some time! i have recently decided i like cherries in dessert.
10I made this..It wasn't a very good recipe.
11Interesting. I will have to try this sometime. Mix it with other fruits for a fruit pizza.
12mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
13Thank you for this! Cherry Clafoutis is my all-time favorite dessert. I also eat whatever is left for breakfast the next day. And this is the same recipe I have used for years. So easy to make, and a big hit with everyone. I would drop the powdered sugar on top though. You can also use other kinds of fruits to suit the seasons, or even make a savory clafoutis: chevre, olives, ham, etc.
Slashfood just did a great article on Cherry Clafoutis:
14http://www.slashfood.com/2007/07/26/slashfood-ate-8-cherry-clafoutis-bec...
I have a ton of cherries that are going to go bad before I eat them, I've been looking for something to make with them, this is perfect! I have all the ingredients too, this is perfect!
Can I use a glass baking dish?
15beths - you can use a glass baking dish, but like most cases of baking with a glass dish, you might want to decrease the oven temp a little. good luck!
suzewah - i saw that article as mine was in the oven, weird coincidence!
16I made this last night, it was soooo good!!! A little on the sweet side though, I had some this morning without the powdered sugar and it was fab! It reminded me of this dish my Mom makes called Toad in the Hole, same batter, but it's savory, with sausage and sherry...yum!
17don't pit the cherries!!
i sprinkle vanilla sugar on top just as it comes out of the oven... delicious.
18This looks so similar to what my mom used to make when I was a kid - Only different. For one thing - It was never a batter but a firm dough that she would prepare (rolling out) & placing it in a (buttered & flour-lined) rectangular baking dish, halved cherries laid on top, then sprinkled with sugar & baked.
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I LOVED IT SO MUCH! But, as a child/teenager, I never realized that I should have watched her cook & bake - Thus, learning from her what she did to make such good food for her family. Because now that she's gone, I have no way of making those dishes she did so well. I have tried replicating some of those recipes from memory... But they're just not the same.
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Perhaps someone recognizes the recipe I mentioned above & can help me with a good dough recipe, cooking time (short) & temperature setting... I would so love to make it again.
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To those who respond - I offer a grateful "Thank you!"
In Costa Rica cherries are crazy expensive so I am going to try this with strawberries. Wish me luck.
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