If you’re not familiar with clafoutis, you’re in for a real treat! I think it may be best described as a baked custard dotted with fruit, traditionally made in a cast iron skillet. A sort of pancake-meets-flan type affair.

Fabulously versatile and very adaptable, this dessert can be made using whatever fruit is in season (except those with a high water content like watermelon and muskmelon). If you want to go the traditional route, use black cherries.

The amount of sugar you put in would largely depend on how sweet or tart you like your desserts, so make sure you taste the plums before you pour over the batter. I’ve replaced white sugar with light brown simply because I like the viscosity of the caramel when it melts down. The taste stays relatively the same, so feel free to stick with white.

The dusting of icing sugar over the top reminds me of the fast approaching festive season (yes, that’s the closest we get to snow in this part of the globe) Funnily enough, this pud is so nostalgic somehow that even the first time you try it, you’ll be transported right back to your mom’s kitchen..if your mom lives in the south of France that is.

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 4 – 6)

(Adapted from the Cherry clafoutis recipe on the Joy of baking website)

3 large ripe plums (I used the large purple variety)

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tbsp brown sugar

Icing sugar – 2 tbsp

For the batter:

All purpose flour – ½ cup

Granulated white sugar – 2 tbsp

Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp (melted)

Eggs – 2

Whole fat milk – 180 ml

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Salt – ¼ tsp

METHOD:

Pre-heat oven to 220 C (425 F) and lightly grease a baking dish.

Wash the plums, remove the seeds, and chop them (I like mine quite chunky, but you could do them smaller).

Whisk together all the batter ingredients for about a minute, until pale and slightly aerated. I used an electric whisk, but doing it by hand with a wire whisk should work just fine.

In a non-stick pan, add the knob of butter and let it melt through. Add in the plums and brown sugar and toss them around till they soften slightly, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the plums to the baking dish.

Pour in the batter over the plums and bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until the edges of the custard are golden and puffed up (Do NOT open the oven door before it’s cooked through or it may collapse)

Dust with icing sugar, and serve warm with ice-cream or whipped cream.

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