Clafoutis with Apple, a Funny Name for an Easy Pie

Clafoutis sounds like something you might need penicillin for but it is so the opposite! Clafoutis is a traditional butter cake or custard pie from the Limousin Region of France. Traditionally is it made with cherries but you can really use any fruit. This past weekend my wife and I came across tons of mountain apples in hills of Greenville County, South Carolina so Clafoutis seemed like a great recipe to share with you.

After many experiments I've melded the best of American apple pie with a the best of Franco culinary buttery goodness. This recipe is modified from a one originally appearing in Saveur Magazine.

Make sure to save the syrup for a drizzle over the room temperature dessert. I love to serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This is good any time of year but is the best during apple season it also makes an easy gift for a friend.

Local Apples from the Mountains of Greenville County, South Carolina

Here is a Helpful Handy Dandy Hint

Purchase antique or beautiful pie plates when you see them for a few dollars. Then take Clafoutis or any pie to your friends as a gift and tell them the pie plate is part of the gift. Then they don't have to worry about returning the dish.

Main Ingredients for Clafoutis Batter

Batter Ingredients

3 Eggs

6 tbs Melted Butter

1 cup Heavy Cream

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2/3 cup All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Apple Glaze Ingredients

4 tbsp Unsalted Butter

4 Honey Crisp Apples

1/2 Granulated Sugar, plus 2 tsp. Sugar for topping

3 tbs Brandy

Juice of One Lemon

1/2 tbsp Ground Cinnamon

Method

Preheat the Oven to 400 degrees and insert the pie plate to heat in the oven.

Blend cream, eggs, 6 tbs of melted butter, vanilla, flour, sugar and salt into a mixer or blender and blend until smooth.

To glaze the apples: Melt butter on medium-high heat. Add sugar, brandy and allow to dissolve.

Add apples, lemon juice and ground cinnamon and allow to glaze and warm through, about 3-5 minutes.

Remove the hot pie plate from the oven and spray with a vegetable or canola oil spray. Pour two-thirds of the batter into the pie plate.

Using a slotted spoon arrange the apples in batter.

Then cover the fruit with the remaining batter. Strain and reserve the glazing syrup to pour over the completed and sliced dessert when serving.

Sprinkle the Clafoutis with sugar and bake from 20-30 minutes until golden and firm in the center.

Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.