This month I’ve heard about France more than usual. First, there was Bastille Day, the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in 1789. Not being French, I don’t celebrate this holiday, but when I worked in Manhattan, my law firm had a French office, and held a Bastille Day happy hour every year. This, however, was largely viewed as an opportunity to announce your availability to work late, and thus, was usually poorly attended because it wasn’t worth risking your evening for a little brie and cheap wine. Perhaps a better way to celebrate might have just been to set out in the kitchen a “Best Deal” cake from the nearest French bakery, like this disaster from a French bakery here in Houston:
French fail
Next was the World Cup, which culminated with France’s win. Pretty exciting, if you were rooting for France.
And then there’s the annual Tour de France with its spandex rainbow of superhuman zero-bodyfat cyclist bots, which started on July 7. My husband follows it, and I watch it with him until I get bored, which is usually pretty early on.
But wait, there’s more! My friend treated me to a cooking class at Sur La Table. We really enjoyed the class and our instructor Nick, who talked nonstop and was just full of information.
We made a chicken thigh dish, a fabulous summer squash salad, and clafoutis — a baked French dessert with fruit, traditionally black cherries, arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter. I’d made clafoutis once before, and it came out dry as dust. This one, served warm out of the oven, custardy and bursting with tart raspberries, was my favorite dish of the evening. I couldn’t wait to make it at home — in fact I made two and brought one to a neighbor — where it was a hit. I’m in love with this dessert — it’s quick and easy to make, and is a comforting end to a meal that makes excellent use of summer produce. If you’re feeling indulgent, serve it dusted with powdered sugar and a side of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream — just make sure you serve it warm, when it is at its best. And so, to wrap up all the France-ness July brought, here is the recipe for clafoutis, for you to bring a little ooh-la-la to your table.
- For the batter:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ⅔ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- For the fruit:
- 1 cup fresh fruit -- pitted cherries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla-flavored sugar* (can also use regular or turbinado sugar)
- *To make vanilla-flavored sugar, cut a vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Place 2 cups of sugar in a food processor and add the seeds. Pulse until combined. Store in a glass jar. (Tip: Add the scraped vanilla bean to a container of sugar to infuse the sugar with the vanilla flavor.)
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and position oven rack in center of oven. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan and set aside.
- To prepare batter: Add milk, eggs, and vanilla in a food processor or blender, and process until well combined. Add the sugar and blend until smooth. Drizzle in the melted butter and blend until smooth. Add the flour and salt and continue blending until smooth.
- To prepare the fruit: In a medium bowl, combine the fruit, flour, and sugar, tossing to lightly coat the fruit. Set aside.
- To prepare the clafoutis: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and arrange the fruit over the top, shaking off any excess flour from the fruit. Sprinkle the vanilla sugar over the top. Bake until clafoutis is golden brown and set in the center, approximately 25-30 minutes. The clafoutis will puff up during baking and fall as it cools. Serve warm.
Ready for the oven
Easy, comforting, and delicious