Very Berry Clafoutis

A Super Simple and Versatile Partner for Your Favorite Fruit

Hi hi!

What the heck is a clafoutis ?

Well, first off, let’s learn how to pronounce it: The “s” at the end is silent and the accent—as almost always in French—is on the last syllable, so it’s clah-foo-TEE.

Clafoutis is kind of a mix between a flan and a cake (although don’t quote me on that technically). Mixing up the batter takes fewer than ten minutes and it cooks up so pretty. Also, I like it because it’s not too sweet and takes advantage of almost any kind of fruit you like. It’s perfect for brunch or as an afternoon goûter (snack). You can serve it slightly cooled or make it the day before.

I make several different versions of clafoutis because I’m a fan, and also frankly because it’s as simple as whipping up a batter and pouring it over some fruit. Here’s a very summer clafoutis aux mirabelles, for example. C’est tellement facile et tellement bon (It’s so easy and so good).

Fun French Fact: To Pit or Not to Pit Your Clafoutis ?

Traditional versions of clafoutis are often made with cerises (cherries) or mirabelles, both of which have pits.

If you start to discuss the idea of un clafoutis with a French person, you may get asked, “dénoyautées ou pas ?” That means, are you in the camp who likes to take out your fruit pits (the verb is “dénoyauter”) before baking or the camp who prefers to spit them out while eating the dessert?

Moi, I’m Team Dénoyautées all the way, because although it may be true that leaving the pits in makes the dish more delish, breaking a tooth can really ruin the mood at brunch.

VERY BERRY CLAFOUTIS AUX MYRTILLES
CLAFOUTIS WITH BLUEBERRIES

Serves 6 and takes about an hour altogether.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 eggs

• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean or Vanilla Extract (optional)

• 1/2 cup Sugar

• 3/4 cup Flour

• 1/2 to 3/4 cup Milk (depending on your egg size)

• 4 tablespoons Melted Butter

• 1 to 1 1/2 cup Blueberries, rinsed and patted dry (Cherries, Strawberries, and even Pineapple work great, too, and the quantity can vary based on how packed you want your fruit.)

• Powdered sugar (optional)

PREPARATION

STEP ONE
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

STEP TWO
Butter a baking dish. For this recipe, I used a ceramic Emile Henry dish that I found in the cupboard, but glass works well too.

STEP THREE
In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla.

STEP FOUR
Add the flour, then the melted butter.

STEP FIVE
Add the milk slowly and stir till you have a smooth consistency. This not a thick batter, but depending on the size of your eggs, you may need a little more or less.

STEP SIX
Add the fruit and the batter mixture to your baking dish. Sometimes I butter it, sometimes not, sometimes I put the fruit in first, sometimes I put the batter in first, and it doesn’t seem to matter at all.

STEP SEVEN
Bake for 40-45 minutes but keep an eye on it at the end to make sure it doesn’t get too golden brown—just enough! You can always cover it with foil for a few minutes at the end if you see too much browning.

Note: the clafoutis will puff up in the oven, then might drop a bit—that’s OK!

STEP EIGHT
Let cool a bit and serve right away or completely cool. Add a sprinkle of powdered sugar, a dollop of crème fouettée (whipped cream) or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, eh voilà !

Thank you so much for sharing a moment of sweetness with me. Your being here means a lot. If you do make this recipe, let me know in the comments!

Je vous souhaite une très belle journée les amis (I wish you a beautiful day friends),

Karen