Strawberry & Almond Clafoutis

Hi there 🙂 So I’m still making the most of all the fresh summer fruit before it disappears for what seems like  f o r e v e r ! So I thought that seen as I am remembering making Clafoutis I would make a beautiful Strawberry and Almond version also. Apart from different tutorial pics and some ingredient changes it’s nearly a copy of my Cherry & Pistachiio Clafoutis recipe, but of course with fresh strawberries and almonds and don’t tell any Frenchmen (or women) but even though I adore cherries, I love strawberries more so this was my favourite!

Clafoutis (pronounced KLA-FOO-TEE) is a simple, rustic French dessert made with fresh summer fruit (usually cherries) and a thin, crepe like batter that when baked forms a set, slightly wobbly, rather ‘eggy’ tasting custard, similar to a creme caramel or bread pudding. It’s supposed to be enjoyed ‘just’ warm as a dessert and served with whipped cream, crème fraiche or vanilla ice-cream. It’s also enjoyed for breakfast and brunch (YES!) It tastes nothing like custard made from powder, it is ‘eggy’ like traditional custard and even more so after being baked, it may not be everyones ‘cup of tea’ but I think it’s beautiful and I love it 🙂 I got the basic batter recipe from a Chef I used to work for who learn’t to make it in France, we would just use strawberries in the summer and it was flavoured with orange blossom water. So for this recipe I’ve used fresh cherries and added vanilla seeds to flavour the custard and also included pistachios which go great with cherries 🙂

The Clafoutis originates from the Limousine region of France, where once a year they first use the freshest of local griottes (sour morello cherries). The name Clafoutis is said to come from the Occitan dialect word claufir meaning ‘to cover or fill’. Traditionally the cherries are macerated first with sugar and kirsch (brandy distilled from the fermented juice of cherries). The French leave the cherry stones in as they add an almond flavour to the Clafoutis and it has some browned  butter ‘beurre noisette’  added to the batter also. Orange blossom (flower) water is also used which adds an earthy and perfumed element to the Clafoutis.

 

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon butter (15 grams)
3 tablespoons demeraras sugar (see note*  below)

3 cups fresh strawberries (approx 350 grams)
1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
6 medium-sized eggs
1/3 cup castor sugar
3/4 cup standard flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond essence
1 cup & x 3 tablespoons milk (or 300 mls)
1 cup & x 3 tablespoons full cream (or 300 mls)

1 tablespoons demeraras sugar (see note*  below)
1 tablespoons butter (15 grams)

 

Note*  I’ve used Demerara sugar because I like it’s toffee flavoured crunch but it’s expensive so if you don’t already have it on hand you could use raw sugar or white sugar.

 

WALKTHROUGH

To make the Clafoutis batter, pour the milk and the cream into a large jug and set aside.

Also In a small bowl whisk the eggs together until the whites and yolks are totally combined (until slightly frothy) and then leave the bowl to the side also.

Next place the castor sugar and salt into a large bowl and sift the flour in also. Then using a wooden spoon stir all three together until combined.

Add the beaten eggs to the large bowl with the dry ingredients and using a whisk, whisk until everything’s well combined and lump free.

Add the almond essence and then slowly pour the milk and cream in whilst whisking briskly. Continue whisking until just combined and lump free.

Leave the batter on the bench so it can rest whilst you prepare the rest of the clafoutis. It can sit up to two hours! It’s best to rest batter so that the gluten in the flour can relax (we’ve made it elasticity when whisking it). It will give your baked custard a finer texture. Same goes for pancake, crepe and pikelet batter (I tested both resting it for at least half an hour and not resting it at all and resting it gave the baked custard in my clafoutis a finer texture).

Time to prepare the strawberries by removing the calyx’s and halving them if they are small or cutting them into quarters if they are large.

Next, preheat your oven to 150°C fan-bake oven or 175°C conventional oven, on bake with a rack situated just below the centre of the oven.

Find a round dish that is approximately 23 cm W x 5 cm D (it needs to be able to hold 10 cups of liquid).

To prepare the dish, grease it well with the first measure of butter (1 tablespoon) and then sprinkle the first measure of demeraras sugar (3 tablespoons) all around the bottom and sides of the dish letting it stick to the butter and coat as much of the dish as possible.

Lay the strawberries over the bottom of the dish.

Then sprinkle the almonds around also. It seems weird that you are putting them on the bottom huh?!!

With a wooden spoon, stir the batter, just to make sure there is nothing sitting on the bottom…….and pour it into the dish, over the cherries and nuts…..now you know why it didn’t matter that they were on the bottom! It should be no fuller than 3/4 or it may spill into the oven and who wants to clean that up? don’t call me, I’ve got my own oven that needs some lovin’!

Carefully place the un-cooked clafoutis in the oven and bake for 35 minutes.

Whilst it’s cooking get the second measure of demerara sugar (1 tablespoon) ready and cut the second measure of butter (1 tablespoon) into x 6 little bits.

After the 35 minutes is up carefully take the clafoutis out of the oven (quickly shutting the oven door after so as not to let out too much heat) and place it on top of the oven or on a board. Quickly sprinkle the demerara sugar all over the top and randomly place the little cubes of butter all over the top also. Quickly but carefully place it back into the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes. Don’t worry about taking it out and putting it back in, this won’t affect the success of your clafoutis!

After it’s last 10 minutes remove it from the oven. It will be puffed up beautifully and be a light, golden brown. It will seem set on top all over but will be a bit jiggly in the centre, that;s okay, it will set quickly as it cools down.

…..and then immediately start to shrink!! It’s perfectly normal just like a souffle, not puffing up in the first place is something to be concerned about 🙂 Whilst its still hot run a sharp knife around the edge as it tends to stick to the sides a bit 🙂

Note*  If it’s cooked too long it will become rubbery on the bottom and taste a bit too ‘eggy’.

Serve ‘just’ warm and dust with icing sugar (confectioners sugar) just before serving. It’s lovely with crème fraiche, whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream. After serving it initially it can warmed in the microwave,  depending on the serving size I would start with 20 seconds and then in increments of 10 until warm (the custard will be ruined if it’s heated up too much).

 

Storage – Kept covered in the fridge and it will be good for two days (don’t forget it’s quite acceptable to eat it for breakfast!)

Hop over to this post if you’d like to see my Cherry & Pistachio Clafoutis.