pear clafoutis
  more photos:
 
 
pear clafoutis

This is a simple dessert - so simple it can be whipped up immediately prior to guests arriving. Clafoutis are my fall-back when I wish I had made a pie but I don't feel like wrestling with pastry.

ingredients:

  4 large eggs
  ½ cup granulated sugar
  1/8 teaspoon salt
  1/3 cup all purpose flour
  1 cup whole milk
  ¼ cup butter, melted
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  ½ teaspoon maple extract
  ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  3 large pears, peeled, cored, sliced
  Powdered sugar
  Maple Syrup

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously butter 9-inch-diameter glass or ceramic pie plate.

2. Beat eggs, sugar and salt in medium bowl to blend. Whisk in flour. Add milk, butter, vanilla and maple extracts and cinnamon - whisk until smooth.

3. Arrange pears in bottom of prepared plate. Pour custard over pears.
Bake until clafoutis is set in center and golden on top, about 55 minutes.

4. Sprinkle powdered sugar over and serve with maple syrup on the side.

after-thoughts:

I think this would be a great tart to brulée the top of - sprinkle it with granulated sugar rather than powdered and then torch or broil until browned and crispy.

recipe origin: Based on a May, 1994 Bon Appétit recipe.