April 8, 2006

Strawberry Clafoutis

I knew I could trust Clotilde's recipe for Strawberry Clafoutis, but I wasn't expecting it to be quite this good! This was really delicious and I will use this recipe for all future clafoutis, I'm sure. Try it! You won't be disappointed. You can check out this and her other NPR submissions here.

I think I'm such a fan of this clafoutis because it was a bit lighter than my previous version, although really just about the same. Recipes don't vary all that much for this traditional French dessert, but Clotilde's addition of ground almonds and cornstarch add great flavor and a little more puff to this baked custard. Since I can buy ground almonds in the grocery store here, this was even easier for me to throw together by hand, but her food processor version seems really quick, too!

This is best served warm from the oven or at room temperature, sprinkled with some powdered sugar. My husband definitely gave me the "you're a goddess!" look after his first bite of this delicious dessert. I'm posting her recipe here to simply make it easier for me to look up in the future, but please do read her wonderful NPR article.

Strawberry Clafoutis

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3 cups strawberries
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup whole blanched almonds, ground (I used 1/3 cup already ground almonds)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
pinch of salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp light rum, optional

You can read Clotilde's food processor or blender directions here.

Grease an 8x8 pan with a bit of the butter, or 6 individual 1-cup ramekins. Melt the rest of the butter in the microwave. Spread out washed and cut strawberries in the pan or ramekins. You can cut them however you like; I halved the small ones and quartered the larger ones. Combine almond powder, flour, salt and cornstarch in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Add the milk, rum, and melted butter, whisking until smooth. Pour 1/2 of the egg mixture into the flour mixture and whisk to incorporate the liquid. Add the rest of the liquid, whisking until you have a smooth thin batter. Pour over the strawberries and bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) for 40 minutes, or 30 minutes for ramekins. Serves 6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

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