Clafouti // noun, super French, [klah-foo-tee]: An almost breakfast-y tart kind of dessert that’s eggy, custardy, fruit-studded, and somehow cake-like in structure and substance. Best enjoyed warm, with soft whipped cream, powdered sugar, and your third cup of coffee for the morning. Fruit is essential. Cherries are traditional. Cranberries are happening.
See also: firm but still really good flan. See also: really eggy cake. See also: Stop making poor comparisons when French breakfast dessert is what is, aka DELICIOUS.
Did that get weird? (Rhetorical.)
We’re making a French, custardy, I-want-to-call-it-breakfast-cake with fresh cranberries because tis the season. Here’s where we start!
First let’s flavor our sugar. Why not?
When recipes have just a few simple ingredients, it’s important to pull out a few of our baking tricks. This one: rubbing fresh orange zest into granulated sugar to maximize flavor and aroma.
Eggs are beaten into the orange sugar. Structure and custard. That’s where we’re going with this!
Flour into the sweet, eggy mixture.
We’re not using baking soda or baking powder. We’re relying on the power of eggs to give us body and lift.
Half-and-half is whisked into the mixture, creating a loose, pancake-like batter. Sweet and lovely and ready for baking.
Our pie dish is brushed generously with butter and filled with fresh cranberries (whole and chopped).
Our clafouti batter is poured over the cranberries, and the tart is ready to bake!
After 30 minutes in the oven, we’ve got a slightly puffed, just golden brown, cranberry-busting, eggy tart.
There’s no time to waste. This tart is best served warm!
Dusted with powdered sugar and served with sweetened whipped cream and coffee.
The texture of this tart is in between custard and cake. Some might call it rubbery, but that’s unkind (though just slightly accurate). I love its unique texture, especially when warm and the tart cranberries add the perfect burst of Fall flavor.
Cranberry Orange and Cream Clafoutis
2015-11-16 15:40:44
Serves 6
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup half-and-half or whole milk
- 2 cups cranberries (1 cup whole, 1 cup coarsely chopped)
- powdered sugar and whipped cream for topping
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9 or 10-inch feel pie plate with butter and add two tablespoons of sugar.
- Tilt the pie plate around so that the sugar coats all of the butter on the bottom and up the sides of the pie dish. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine remaining sugar and orange zest. Use the back of a spoon to work the zest into the sugar, creating a fragrant, orange-tinted sugar.
- Whisk in the eggs until thoroughly combined and slightly thickened. Add the flour and salt and whisk to combine. Lastly, add the half-and-half (or milk, if using) and carefully whisk to combine.
- Add the cranberries (whole and chopped) to the prepared baking dish. Top with milky mixture. Bake for 30 minutes, or until puffed and just lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving warm dusted with powdered sugar and dolloped with whipped cream.
- I like this tart best, warm, the day it is made.
By Joy the Baker
Adapted from
Mark Bittman Adapted from Mark Bittman
Joy the Baker http://joythebaker.com/