NECTARINE CLAFOUTIS

NECTARINE CLAFOUTIS

When it comes to easy desserts, it's hard to beat the French country classic known as clafoutis.

If you’ve never made a clafoutis before, you’ll be amazed at how easy it is. This French country classic is like a puffed pancake or a shallow custardy cake—and it works well with almost any seasonal fruit. Get the recipe for our nectarine clafoutis

Baked until puffed and golden, the custard-like cake works well with almost any seasonal fruit. This version calls for a stone fruit that's often underused in baking: nectarines.

For this, our favorite clafoutis recipe, we use sliced nectarines, but you could substitute sliced peaches if you prefer. Enjoy clafoutis warm from the oven or at room temperature. It's a French recipe you'll make your own and serve for dinner parties or family meals it's just that good.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

3 to 4 ripe nectarine

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

4 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Reparations

Step 1

Preheat oven and baking dish:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with a 10-inch baking dish (1 1/2 to 2 inches deep) on center rack.

Step 2

Blanch nectarines.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. With a sharp knife, cut a shallow X into bottom of each nectarine. Add to pot and blanch 30 to 40 seconds.

Step 3

Peel and slice nectarines.

When cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to remove skin and pit; cut into 1/4-inch slices.

Step 4

Puree ingredients for batter and strain.

Puree milk, cream, eggs, yolks, vanilla seeds, granulated sugar, flour, and salt in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a liquid-measuring cup.

Step 5

Remove dish from oven, brush with butter, and pour in small amount of batter:

Carefully remove preheated baking dish from oven and quickly brush with butter (caution: it will sizzle), Immediately pour in just enough batter to coat bottom of dish, Return to oven and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes,

Step 6

Add remaining batter, arrange nectarines:

Pour in remaining batter and arrange nectarines in a single layer, covering as much surface area as possible.

Step 7

Bake, dust with confectioner's sugar, and serve:

Return to oven and bake until puffed and browned, 35 to 40 minutes more. Let cool slightly. Dust with confectioner's sugar; serve and enjoy