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Clafouti: A Sweet Possibility for Late Summer Fruits

© Sonia Michaels

Summer is nearly over - I can feel the chill of early Fall in the morning when I wake up, and I've noticed that the trees on the golf course nearby already have a few golden leaves. I've got about twenty-five pounds of various fruits in the house - in the fridge, on the dining room table, in bags on the kitchen counter... this is one of the best times of the year for fruit, and I always try to make the most of it. My husband, though, is definitely a "dessert man" - while I love biting into a fresh, juicy peach, he prefers his fruit dressed up a bit. So, here is my favorite Provencal recipe for a fruit dessert -versatile, delicious, and fairly forgiving if you have to substitute ingredients - from the excellent book The Food and Flavors of Haute Provence, by Georgeanne Brennan.

Fresh Apricot Clafouti (serves 6-8)

(The author recommends making this with apricots and sour cherries in the Spring, nectarines, plums, and figs in the Summer, and brandied fruits in the Winter. It's wonderful any way you make it!)

1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter

1 cup milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar, firmly packed, or brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon almond extract

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

18 apricots, halved and pitted (about 4 cups)

Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Using the butter, grease a baking dish about 10 inches in diameter and 1 1/2 inches deep.

In a bowl, combine the milk, cream, granulated or brown sugar, eggs, almond extract, salt, and flour. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until the mixture is frothy, about 5 minutes.

Pour enough of the batter into the prepared dish to form a layer about 1/4 inch deep. Put the dish into the preheated oven for 2 minutes, then remove it from the oven. Place the apricot halves, face down, evenly over the batter, which is now slightly set. Pour the remaining batter over the apricots.

Return the dish to the oven and bake until puffed and brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve warm from the oven, plain or sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

Got a favorite Mediterranean-style recipe for Summer and Fall fruits? Suggest it to me! Looking for a particular recipe? Start a discussion, and we'll try to find it!