Plums in Early Morning
By Cat, Oct 2007; updated July 2015 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
Clafoutis (a French word, pronounced “claw-foo-tee) is a simple, baked fruity custard pudding from France, that is best served warm, with cold thick cream poured over. This recipe does not use the 2-step method for cooking the custard.
Clafoutis reminds me of a fruit kuchen without the pastry crust on the bottom, which is perfect for my Paleo eating plan. [2015 note: In 2014 I changed from a Paleo to a Ketogenic eating plan, and had to give up this dessert – at least for the first 6 months – because of the white flour/starch in the recipe. I now use Creamy Egg Custard (Baked), Extra-Rich & Low Carb, with berries added to the custard before baking.]
NOTE: One of the suggested sweeteners is sweet dairy whey, which is primarily lactose. Do not use if you are lactose intolerant.
- See also: 1. Puddings & Frozen Desserts Menu;
- Other sites: 1. French Food, about (2)
Plum Clafoutis, with Almonds
This recipe is adapted from Fine Cooking (1). Of course you can use other fruits such as peach, apricot, nectarine, cherries, figs or berries. This is very similar to my Peach or Plum Kuchen recipe – without the crust, so is great if you are avoiding grains. NOTE: if you are avoiding grains or gluten, use tapioca starch in the custard instead of flour.
In the original recipe, the custard ingredients are whisked together in a bowl; but I find it easier to do this in a blender, as it does a better job of breaking up the lumps of flour/starch.
This recipe requires two different pans:
- Ceramic or metal pie or quiche pan for drying and toasting the soaked almonds; then reused for baking the clafoutis;
- Cast iron skillet for cooking the plums on stove top;
- Reuse ceramic or metal pie or quiche pan for baking the clafoutis (cooked plums with custard on top) in 425°F oven. The recipe say to bake only 15 minutes until set, but it may take longer for the custard to set. I’ll verify, and update recipe as needed, after testing.
If you don’t have amaretto, or are not adding almonds, use all brandy (2 Tbsp total).
Serves 4 – 6.
Ingredients & Equipment
- Almonds
- 1 Tbsp sliced or slivered almonds
- 1 Tbsp Rapadura or white cane sugar
- Fruit
- 12 oz fruit (3 – 5 plums, pitted & quartered; larger fruit should be cut into smaller wedges)
- scant ⅛ tsp stevia extract powder (OR 3 Tbsp Rapadura, white cane sugar, OR 1 – 2 Tbsp sweet dairy whey OR 1 – 1½ Tbsp raw local honey)
- 1 Tbsp brandy plus 1 Tbsp amaretto; or 2 Tbsp brandy
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for pie pan
- Custard
- ⅓ cup unbleached white flour or tapioca starch (see also Conversions between Starches & Other Thickeners if you wish to use a different starch). [I’d like to use almond or coconut flour instead, but need to test that option, as it may not thicken the custard.]
- ¼ tsp unrefined sea salt
- scant ⅛ tsp stevia extract powder plus optional 1-2 Tbsp sweet dairy whey or 1 Tbsp raw local honey (OR ALTERNATIVE: 3 Tbsp Rapadura or white cane sugar)
- 3 fresh, large eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk, preferably raw or simply pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized)
- ¼ cup heavy cream, preferably raw or simply pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla or almond extract
- Decoration (optional)
- powdered sugar (for dusting); I recommend Unrefined Powdered Sugar: Make Your Own
- Equipment
- jar (for soaking almonds, optional)
- ceramic or metal pie or quiche pan (not glass)
- 10” cast iron skillet
- medium bowl
Preparation
- Almonds: Optional: Presoak almonds overnight, then drain. Turn out onto toweling, to remove excess water on surface.
- Next day: Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in center of oven.
- When almonds are mostly dry, arrange them in pie pan, and toast in oven until pale golden, 3 – 5 minutes. Transfer to small bowl to cool, then toss with 1 Tbsp sugar.
- Return pan to oven & raise temperature to 425°F.
- Fruit: While almonds are cooling, wash, pit and quarter plums or halve cherries. For peaches & nectarines, remove peel then cut into 8 wedges (or 4wedges for Italian plums), removing pit. Large berries can be halved, smaller ones left whole.
- Toss with ⅛ tsp stevia (or 3 Tbsp sugar, or 2 Tbsp sweet dairy whey) and set aside. (Not sure if stevia will help the juices thicken in the next step; perhaps use 2-3 Tbsp raw, local honey).
- Melt butter in skillet over medium-high heat. When bubbling, add plums (or other fruit) and cook, turning, until beginning to soften, 1 – 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and cook until fruit juices thicken to a thin syrup, 1 – 2 minutes.
- Off heat; stir in brandy and amaretto.
- Custard: If using stevia, dissolve it in the vanilla/almond extract. Add to milk, cream, vanilla, salt, flour/starch and sweetener in blender, and blend; add eggs while blender is running, blending until smooth. OR if whisking in a bowl: Whisk together flour/starch, salt and stevia/sugar; add eggs, whisking until completely smooth, then whisk in the milk, cream and vanilla extract.
- Clafoutis: Remove hot pie pan from oven and butter it carefully. Pour in fruit/syrup mixture and spread evenly. Pour custard over fruit (pan will be very full). Bake until puffy and center is set (knife test), about 15 minutes. [As noted in introduction to the recipe, it may take longer for the custard to set.] Sprinkle reserved almond topping over batter halfway through baking.
- Cool clafoutis on rack, 10 – 15 minutes. Don’t be alarmed when it deflates.
- Dust with powdered sugar if desired, and serve.
References:
- Fine Cooking recipe (finecooking.com/recipes/plum-clafoutis.aspx)
