For less effort than for a cobbler, you can make a fancy French dessert that just sounds impressive when you say it: clafoutis (pronounced: claw-foo-tee).
The things I like about this dessert is that there is no guesswork like there is for a cobbler or crisp. How thick should the topping be? How wet? How dry? How much thickener for the filling? Oats? Nuts? Butter or shortening?
No guesswork with this recipe! You just follow the recipe for the batter exactly and then pour the batter in a deep dish casserole (4 quart) and scatter fruit on top. That’s it. Really.
I love the custard-y texture of the cake here – it is the perfect marriage of cake and custard. Creamy, yet cake like – words are not quite adequate here. I guess you’re going to have to make this to experience it yourself!
The original French recipe calls for dark cherries and a vanilla batter, but I use whatever fruit I have on hand, and it works great. In the summer, you just can’t go wrong with this no fail dessert!
Never Fail Clafoutis
Prep time: 10 minutes Bake time : 50 minutes
Serves 8
1/2 cup butter, cut into 8 pieces
4 cups mixed fruit (I used diced peaches, plums and apricots)
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Scatter the butter pieces into a 4 quart baking dish and place in oven for about 10 minutes, or until butter melts and begins to bubble.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and milk. Remove baking pan from oven and pour the whisked batter into the melted butter in pan. Do NOT mix. Sprinkle diced fruit on top of batter, scattering evenly. Do NOT stir.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until golden brown and set in center. Best served warm, right out of oven.
- ½ cup butter, cut into 8 pieces
- 4 cups mixed fruit such as diced peaches, plums and apricots
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup milk
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Scatter the butter pieces into a 4 quart baking dish and place in oven for about 10 minutes, or until butter melts and begins to bubble.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and milk. Remove baking pan from oven and pour the whisked batter into the melted butter in pan. Do NOT mix. Sprinkle diced fruit on top of batter, scattering evenly. Do NOT stir.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until golden brown and set in center. Best served warm, right out of oven.
Other bloggers do intriguing spins on clafoutis:
Berry Clafoutis, Julia’s Album
Grain Free Blueberry Almond Clafoutis, Everyday Maven
Peach Clafoutis, Honestly Yum