Blackberry Clafouti

We almost never have a freshly made dessert at night during the week.

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I’m sure it’s for the same reasons as most other people.

By the time we get home from work, get things done around the house, make and eat dinner, I have no energy to bake.

Take last night –

The dishwasher needed to be unloaded.

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Dinner dishes had to be soaked and washed. Lunch needed to be packed for work.

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Figs needed to be picked. Roasted tomatoes to be bagged and frozen.

And berries to be frozen for later and placed carefully in the fridge to await their fate.

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But one thing was different about yesterday.

After work, Nick and I went berry picking at a local farm. An hour and a half later, with sweat glistening (which sounds much better than just saying I was sweating) on my forehead and an aching back, I carried my 6 pints of raspberries with red stained hands to the checkout. With Nick’s 2 pints of blackberries, we headed home.

Walking into the house with a gallon of berries, I knew there was no way we could pass up having dessert.

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Our go-to berry dessert is almost always a cobbler. They’re quick, easy, and always delicious.

But we didn’t have vanilla ice cream and I wanted something that took a little less time to make.

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I wanted to try making a clafouti. I know – it’s a weird word.

And I’d never tried one before, either. But I’ve seen so many recipes and it looked like the perfect combination of custard and crust, tart and sweet.

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Nick’s dad makes a pretty mean Dutch Baby Pancake, so I took what I remembered from his recipe and used that for the batter, with a few small changes.

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It’s almost like having two desserts in one. Light and crispy top, smooth and velvet custard hugging the bursting berries.

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And with no ice cream in the house, we went with the next best thing: a tablespoon of heavy cream.

I know it’s September, but as long as berries are still coming in here, I’m holding on to the summer desserts.

 

Blackberry Clafouti

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups blackberries
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • pinch cinnamon
  • heavy cream, for topping (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Spray or butter a 8×8 baking dish.
  3. Place berries in the dish.
  4. Beat eggs until frothy.
  5. Add sugar to eggs and mix.
  6. Beat in the vanilla and milk until combined.
  7. Slowly add the salt, baking powder, flour, and cinnamon until everything is combined.
  8. Pour the batter over the berries.
  9. Bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes, until the batter is set.
  10. Let cool for 5 minutes.
  11. Serve with a drizzle of heavy cream or ice cream.

 

And I don’t normally like to make things at night because the pictures never turn out as well as during the day with natural light streaming in the windows.

But this is real life. This dessert was good enough to share, bad lighting or not. And we enjoyed every bite. I hope you try it, too.

32 comments

  1. What a wonderful mid-week treat! That looks delicious! I usually prefer baking on the weekends but during the summer I am away a lot so weeknight baking is more common.

  2. Yum! This sounds great! I love the pictures and the recipe! Great work :)

  3. I’ve never had clafouti, but yours looks delicious. I’m with you–I’m going to hang onto the summer produce for as long as I can!

  4. I miss berry picking. The local farm here is 45 minutes away. Hardly convenient :-(. Lovely dessert!

  5. That calfouti looks delicious! I am so jealous that you two went berry-picking! I’ve always wanted to go berry-picking! :-D

  6. I have been wanting to try a clafouti so badly. I think you just convinced me to make it happen. Sounds delicious!

  7. Mmmmmm! How delicious. Jealous of your berry picking adventures! You pick grapes just opened- i need to get out there!

  8. Ok, you’re blowing my mind- I’ve never heard of a clafouti before but it sounds (and looks!) absolutely incredible!! I love how the top looks so crispy and bottom is so creamy– yum!

  9. Will you please bring this to me NOW ; ) lurve.

  10. Ooo, I want to make a “c” [hard to pronounce] dessert! That looks “berry” scrumptious :P Sorry for the cheesiness, I’m in a happy, silly mood today cause I’m “working from home”!

  11. yes, hold onto summer!! especially with desserts like this :) love a good clafouti!

  12. Blackberries are my favorite! Looks delicious!

  13. I love clafoutis!! I just made a peach one this summer…..it was SO good! Clafoutis will no be my go-to dessert to feature fruit. Mmmm…..

  14. This looks amazing! I love dessert during the week but never make it (unless I’m lucky enough to not be working). I now want some of this delicious dessert and a gallon of fresh berries :)

  15. This looks amazing… I’ve never heard of clafouti before. Definitly a nice change from a pie or cobbler/crisp.

  16. This is a wonderful way to highlight those gorgeous blackberries. I love the simplicity of it.

  17. I love clafouti, probably one of my favorites too. the berries are still SO good right now, I will miss them when they’re gone!

  18. A lovely impromptu dessert! And blackberry….a favorite of mine for sure! And, have I told you lately I am totally jealous you have a fig tree? :)

  19. This clafouti looks great! Wish I had some for a snack today.
    I would love if you added this and any other links to my “Happy Post” today. http://su.pr/1bZ8fp

  20. Love the idea of freezing Figs..and your kitchen looks so pretty in night as well..mine becomes a mess :)

  21. Is it bad that I have been wanting to make a Clafouti, just so I have a reason to say Clafouti?
    Either way, I think this is the one I need to make! Looks amazing! ;-)

  22. Thank you for a great post.

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