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Definition: Clafouti

YumSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:00:05 -0700

Clafouti
A rustic dessert from the French region of Limousin that is a cross between a pancake and a custard. While traditionally made with cherries that have not been pitted (the pits release more flavor), clafouti is also made with plums, blackberries, apples, and other fruits. Also spelled clafoutis.

Source

Yummy Link: A Bowl Full of Cherries

partysugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:15:29 -0700

The other day I passed the local farmers market as it was being set up. What stood out were the bowls of beautiful cherries. I couldn't help but wonder, what I would make with such gorgeous cherries. However, after seeing this recipe for mixed berry and cherry clafoutis, I know exactly what I have to make! -Noble Pig

Come Party With Me: Gossip Girl Premiere - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:30:47 -0700

Gossip Girl premieres next week and to celebrate I've invited over some friends to enjoy dinner and watch the show with me. It's a Monday night, so the menu is minimal but delicious and filling. Since Gossip Girl takes place in New York, all the recipes I'm using were crafted by acclaimed NYC chefs. This dessert, a simple raspberry clafouti, is Eric Ripert's recipe. Although the French name makes it seem like the dessert is complicated, it requires nothing more than a wire whisk and can be assembled in minutes. I'll put the clafouti in the oven when the episode starts and half way through we'll be savoring the fruity pastry piping hot. For Ripert's recipe, read more.

Raspberry Clafouti
From Eric Ripert

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup sugar (and a little more for ramekin)
1 large egg
6 tablespoons half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raspberries
Vanilla ice cream (or a flavor of your choice)

Directions

Heat toaster oven to 400 degrees. Butter two 5 1/2-inch oval gratin dishes and dust with sugar.
Whisk egg until frothy and add sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract; mix to combine.
Add the all-purpose flour and whisk very well.
Divide the raspberries into the baking dishes and pour the batter over the berries.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown and the middle is set.
Serve with a scoop of ice cream.

Serves 2.

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Come Party With Me: Bastille Day Lunch - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:00:44 -0700

When one thinks of a French dessert many things come to mind: creme brulee, chocolate eclairs, profiteroles with chocolate sauce, or apple tart tatin. While these are delicious options, for my Bastille Day lunch, I want to serve a light, summery, fruit-based treat like a clafouti. Traditionally clafouti - a custard-like French baked dessert - features ripe cherries, but I plan on giving this peach-raspberry variation a try. It has an elegant, yet rustic presentation that's perfect for enjoying on a warm afternoon in the garden. If this dish sounds appetizing to you be sure to get the recipe!

52 Weeks of Baking: Cherry Clafouti

YumSugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:01:39 -0700

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.

View 12 Photos ›

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Savory Sights: Berry Clafoutis with Scented Mascarpone

YumSugar — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 09:48:11 -0800

You guys are making me hungry. Seriously, I can't even do my job without my stomach letting out a few growls each time.

Today it was reader crispet1 who knocked me over the edge. She posted this beauty, a Raspberry and Blueberry Clafoutis with Quenelle of Orange Scented Mascarpone, in the Savory Sights group.

Clafoutis is such a great dessert, not only is it fun to say, but the way the fruit melds with the batter (which is similar to pancake batter) just makes me start drooling.

Post your great food (or party!) photos to the Savory Sights group and we just might post it here!

In Season: Cherries

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:50:02 -0700

Watermelon, strawberries, peaches - there are so many fruits that get me jazzed for Summer, but the cherry is my all-time favorite. Whether it's the mild, yellow rainier or the ultrasweet bing, there's something magical about the sensation of biting through the cherry's taut, shiny skin and getting a burst of sweet, slightly tart, juicy flesh. Take advantage of cherries now, because they have a short Summer season that lasts through July. Find out how to best choose - and use - these miniature stone fruits when you read more.

When picking cherries, select fruits that are firm, plump, and without blemishes. Cherries are among the fruits that don't ripen once they've been picked, so choose the darkest ones for the sweetest taste. Don't discount those bright red cherries, however: they make a wonderful tart addition to pies, jams, and drinks.

Admittedly, my favorite way to eat cherries is out of my hand, but nonetheless, I also enjoy making them a regular part of my Summer kitchen in a multitude of ways:

Serve sweet cherries alongside mint, grapes, and peaches in a Summer fruit salad.
Whip up a fast cherry pan sauce for lamb rib chops.
Make cherries the life of the bar with a cherry mojito or a bing cherry margarita.
Transport yourself to the French countryside by baking a classic cherry clafouti.
Cool down for dessert with ice cream sandwiches made with cherry chocolate ice cream and puff pastry.

What are your favorite tips for preparing cherries? Please share them with me below!

Yummy Links: From Apple Cheesecake to Superfoods

YumSugar — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 08:01:33 -0700

Fall is the time for apples. Here are several recipes - including one for Apple Caramel Cheesecake - to help you turn apples into delicious dishes. - iVillage
Unsightly kitchen sink? Here are some simple tips to make your sink shine. - CasaSugar
Football Foodies, Bravo's new website just in time for football season, will feature recipes and blogs by former Top Chef contestants. - Bravo
If you're interested in oysters, be sure to check out this excerpt from The Geography of Oysters: The Connoisseur's Guide To Oyster Eating in North America. - Culinate
Would you use a bacteria reducing food machine? - FitSugar
Ever wondered how to make filled cupcakes? - Baking Bites
Are you ready for National Meatloaf Appreciation Day? - Serious Eats
It's just a concept, but wouldn't it be great if you could actually leave notes on toast? - Slashfood
If there are no cherries in your clafouti, then it is just a flognarde. - Apartment Therapy: The Kitchen
Martha Stewart launches her very first line of wines. - Yummr
Just how healthy are these so-called superfoods? - Chow

Summer Reading: Julie and Julia

YumSugar — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 04:12:32 -0700

A few years ago, while facing her 30th birthday, Julie Powell decided that even though she had no culinary background, she was going to master Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. So she built herself a blog and gave herself a year to complete every single recipe inside. There were ups and downs, but over the course of 365 days not only does she learns how to make a clafouti, but she learns a lot about herself. While reading the compelling memoir, entitled Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment, you'll have the opportunity to step inside one gal's attempt to change her life.

Personally, I found the journey to be wonderfully heartwarming and a pleasure to read. Powell's prose is witty, provocative and had my stomach growling, my heart aching and my mind enthralled. I'll have to warn you though, if you're looking for a book about French cooking, you're going to have to keep searching. While it is definitely sprinkled with food, the memoir is really a vehicle for what the author was going through during that period in her life. You may not find the secret to unlock your inner Julia Child, but you will find a really entertaining read.