It was Julia Child — not single-handedly, but close — who started the public conversation about cooking in America that has shaped our cuisine and culture ever since.
I often make her clafoutis recipe because it’s so simple and makes for an excellent dessert for summer entertaining. It’s a classic French dessert that is somewhere between a custard, a cake, and a dutch baby pancake. Traditionally sweet, dark summer cherries are the fruit of choice, though I used fresh blackberries from Moss Mountain Farm, blueberries, and raspberries here.
This is only as good as the berries you pick. Pick the smallest baking dish that will hold the ingredients, deeper is better since it will dry out less.
(Adapted from Julia Child’s Volume 1 Master Recipe)
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
- Butter for pan
- 1 and 1/4 cups whole or 2 percent milk
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- 3 cups blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries, rinsed and well drained
- Powdered sugar in a shaker
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a medium-size flameproof baking dish at least 1 1/2 inches deep.
- Place the milk, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and flour in a blender. Blend at top speed until smooth and frothy, about 1 minute.
- Pour a 1/4-inch layer of batter in the baking dish. Turn on a stove burner to low and set the dish on top for a minute or two, until a film of batter has set in the bottom of the dish. Remove from heat.
- Spread berries over the batter and sprinkle on the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter and smooth with the back of a spoon. Place in the center of the oven and bake about 50 minutes, until the top is puffed and browned and a tester plunged into its center comes out clean.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving. (Clafoutis need not be served hot, but should still be warm. It will sink slightly as it cools.)