Apricot Clafoutis

Spring has finally arrived, and I can appreciate reading books under the warm sun. As I was reading Marie Claude Bisson's cookbook, I found inspiration to honor my jar of preserved apricots infused with vanilla beans and pair them with some pistachios that my parents sent me from Iran: A Clafoutis.

Clafoutis is a classic French dessert, less complex than how it sounds. It is traditionally made with cherries but harmonizes nicely with tender fruits like apricots, figs, and rhubarbs. It is simply fruits in a reservoir of a custard-like batter. I personally enjoy it cold with a cup of unsweetened coffee, but some like it warm with some crème fraîche on top.

I cherish desserts, but not a big fan of overly sweet ones. It took me a few attempts to get to the texture and sweetness that pleases me. I try to achieve versatile recipes which can be modified according to your preference.

This recipe makes one clafoutis for a 20 cm pie/cake pan. You can enjoy it warm or cold, whichever your heart desires.

Ingredients

75 grams all-purpose flour, sifted

50 grams superfine sugar

1 pinch of salt

45 grams butter, cubed

2 medium free range eggs, at room temperature

1 egg yolk, at room temperature

260 ml full-fat organic milk

1 vanilla bean

4-5 Preserved Apricots

2 tbsp of the syrup from the preserved apricots

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Generously butter a pie dish and sprinkle one tbsp of sugar all over the pan.

Start by making the brown butter. Place the chunks of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan gently and continuously until the butter melt and turns golden brown. Set aside until cool.

Next, pour the milk into another small saucepan over low heat. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and add them to the milk. As soon as the milk simmers, cut the heat and let it infuse for at least 30 minutes.

Add the flour, sugar, and salt to a medium mixing bowl. Mix with a balloon whisk until well combined.

Add the eggs and the egg yolk one at a time to the dry ingredients, followed by the infused milk, syrup, and brown butter. Gently mix with a whisk until it is homogeneous and smooth. Do not overmix. The batter should be liquid at this point.

Arrange the apricot halves at the bottom of the prepared pan and slowly pour the batter into the pan.

Bake the clafoutis for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and the center slightly giggly (this is important). Be careful not to overbake the clafoutis as the texture will be chewy rather than flan-like custard.

Garnish with some cut pistachios or dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.

Notes

If you do not have preserved apricots handy, you can find high-quality jarred apricots in light syrup or use your favored fruit(s). Be careful with fruits that release lots of liquid as they may affect the texture of the clafoutis.

If you do not have vanilla beans, you can substitute 1 and 1/2 tsp of vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract.