computer love & clafoutis.

for those of you who know me & especially for those of you who have known me since high school, you know that computers are my nemeses not my passion.  i am more of a pen & paper-type girl & creating – what i cooked what i wore – has involved a steep learning curve.  that said, it has been infinitely rewarding to create something that, everyday,  looks a bit more like the picture in my mind’s eye.  and speaking of rewards, make this.  you will feel like you did something really special even if you didn’t.

clafoutis *see note (serves 6 – 8)
butter for greasing the pan
½ lb blueberries
½ lb raspberries
4 large eggs
¾ C sugar
1 C whole milk
1 T. cognac
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. pure almond extract
¾ C all-purpose flour
pinch of salt

powdered sugar, for dusting

preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

butter an iron skillet & distribute the cherries over the bottom.

in a blender, blend the eggs & sugar until frothy, about 2 minutes. add the milk, cognac, vanilla & almond; blend until smooth. stir in the flour & salt. pour the batter over the berries & place the skillet on a baking sheet in the oven.

bake the clafoutis for 10 minutes.  reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees & bake until the top has puffed (it will sink on cooling) and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out just barely clean (it will continue to set-up as it cools), about 30 minutes more. transfer to a rack and cool for about 20 minutes.

dust generously with powdered sugar & slice into wedges.

*clafoutis – (claw-foo-tea) clafoutis looks like a cake but has a custardy texture similar to, but different than, a flan.  was that helpful?  traditionally this not-too sweet french dessert is made with pit-in cherries as it is said that the pits impart a depth of flavor to the dessert.  i can go either way but since this is one of my boy’s favorite desserts to make, we usually go for no pits because then he can eat it faster.  for the clafoutis pictured, we used a combination of blueberries & raspberries because we were lucky enough to have just picked them – it is a flexible recipe.