Treat Yourself to a French Breakfast and Make a Clafoutis

The French dish called clafoutis (kla-foo-tee) sounds very complicated and intimidating, but it’s actually the opposite. Don’t be fooled by it’s fancy-sounding name! It’s a very simple-yet-impressive dessert that’s a cross between a pancake and a custard, which is why it’s excellent for dessert but also fabulous for breakfast. It’s traditionally made with cherries, but you can use any fruit you like making it extremely versatile.

I love making a special breakfast for my family on the weekends, and I typically lean towards waffles, pancakes, eggs in a basket or chilaquiles (a family favorite) but I was in the mood to try something different. The Michigan blueberries in my freezer were screaming clafoutis, so I grabbed my recipe and got to work. I make it sound labor intensive, but making clafoutis is actually easier than making pancakes or waffles! 

The beautiful thing about this dish is the batter only requires one bowl... you don’t need one bowl for the wet and another for the dry. You naturally get some flour lumps, but in order to smooth them out, I use an immersion blender to blend the batter together. 

The clafoutis has a long bake time (about 45 minutes), so in order to prevent your fruit of choice from burning on the bottom, pour an even, shallow layer of the batter in the bottom of your pan and let that set up before adding the fruit. So clever! I like to use a cast iron pan because it keeps the clafoutis warm for a long time after it comes out of the oven, but you can also use a baking dish. Let the clafoutis cool for about 15 minutes before serving. Or, in my house, eat it as soon as it comes out of the oven and burn the roof of your mouth! 

Although this is a very simple preparation, it’s elegant and allows your fruit of choice to really stand out. If serving this for dessert, you can pop it in the oven while you’re eating dinner and it will be warm when you’re ready to serve. Top it with whipped cream or serve it with a scoop of ice cream. If you have any leftovers, serve it for breakfast or brunch the next day hot or cold with maple syrup.   

Blueberry Clafoutis with Powdered Sugar

Recipe credit: Julia Child

Yield: 4-6 servings

Active time: 15 minutes

Start to finish: 1 hour, 15 minutes

1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 375°.

2. In a medium-size bowl, measure together the milk, 1/4 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour. Using a blender or an immersion blender, blend the batter until smooth.

3. Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat, and add the butter. Pour in enough batter so you have an even layer that’s 1/4 inch thick. Cook the batter until it’s set, 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Sprinkle the blueberries over the batter, and top with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Pour the remaining batter on top.

5. Bake the clafoutis in the oven until the batter is set, 45 minutes to 1 hour. It should be puffed and light golden brown on top.

6. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle cut in to wedges and top with powdered sugar.

So, next time you have some fruit on hand, remember the clafoutis and create a stunning and delicious breakfast or dessert that everyone will love. Now that you’re craving brunch, our Fall Brunch Demo on the Patio this Sunday will surely hit the spot. There are only 4 spots left, so grab those seats!