August 13, 2006

Blackberry Clafouti

3 cups fresh blackberries
3 large eggs
1/2 vanilla bean
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sugar PLUS 1 tablespoon
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Cointreau
1/8 teaspoon salt


Preheat oven to 375. Butter or spray with baking spray with flour one 9 inch round pie or tart pan*. Sprinkle the blackberries with the one tablespoon of sugar and arrange on the pan. Split the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into a saucepan. Add the vanilla pod, milk and cream and heat until you see small bubbles. Remove the bean pod from the pot and then remove the pot from heat. In a medium bowl, beat together sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Slowly add the flour and salt and mix thoroughly. Slowly beat in the milk mixture. Finally, stir in the Cointreau. Pour the custard over the berries in the pie pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until puffy, browned and the center no longer jiggles to the touch. Excellent warm or at room temperature. This is best the day it is made.
*A heart shaped pan was used here, but traditionally a clafouti is made in a round tin.

My thoughts:
Clafouti (sometimes called clafoutis) is a French dessert that is typically made with unpitted black cherries. The best way to describe the texture is that it is sort of like baked custard crossed with a fluffy pancake. We used blackberries because they are in season and are our favorite berry. Other berries and fruits would be good as well. My husband had the idea for this dessert almost a year ago and has been waiting until blackberry season to make it. It was well worth the wait, the caramelized bottom and top are delightful and the berries add a welcome bit of tartness.