cranberry & pear clafoutis

some of the best perks of being at home are the immensely well-stocked kitchen, three ovens to handle my culinary adventures, and having someone to help clean the mess that inevitably ensues (my lovely mother).

of course, i had to take advantage of this by making a special weekday dessert: cranberry and pear clafoutis.

clafoutis, besides being extremely fun to say, is a french country dessert with the texture of a flan-meets-cake. it looks quite rustic, tastes very comforting, and still exudes elegance. it's traditionally made with unpitted black cherries, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and served warm, but i improvised with what we had in the house: a single bruised pear standing on its last leg and a bag of cranberries.

p.s. click on the photos to see them larger!

the result completely exceeded expectations. warm custard studded with red berries and chunks of pear... then paired with vanilla ice cream and a dollop of crème fraiche. so decadent.



i was afraid of making the dish too sour with the cranberries, but the tartness ended up being such a nice contrast to the smooth sweet custard, and i wish i added more. also, my baking dish wasn't wide enough, and the batter ended up drowning the fruit, meaning the clafoutis lost its signature look of a golden moon studded with vibrant fruit.

but even so, this was imperfectly perfect.

Cranberry & Pear Clafoutis
Adapted from Ina Garten

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (I used Earth Balance)
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons bourbon (Use pear brandy if you have it)
• 1 ripe Bosc pear (I would recommend using two)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 10 by 3 by 1 1⁄2-inch round baking dish and sprinkle the bottom and sides with 1 tablespoon of the sugar.

Beat the eggs and the 1⁄3 cup of granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. On low speed, fold in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and bourbon. 

Peel, quarter, core, and slice the pears. Arrange the slices in a single layer, slightly fanned out, in the baking dish. Sprinkle cranberries into the gaps. Pour the batter over the pears and bake until the top is golden brown and the custard is firm, about 40 minutes. Serve warm, with crème fraiche and vanilla ice cream.

how to look like you know what you're doing:
wear a gingham apron and wield a stick of butter earth balance

honey. luscious.

diminished rather rapidly, especially with a sweet-toothed little brother around :P