Red, White, and Blueberry Clafouti

Clafouti made with fresh fruit was always the quintessential summer dessert in our house growing up, after we got past all of the Yates family chocolate cakes for the April, May, and June birthdays.

I love strawberry shortcake as much as the next person, but I haven’t had a whole lot of strawberry shortcakes in my lifetime. Clafouti has always been the substitute—if you can call it a substitute. They both have summer fruit in common. But instead of the biscuits and whipped cream you get with shortcake, you get luxurious custard with clafouti. I’m not saying one is better than the other—they’re just different.

Clafouti is a super versatile, super super super easy dessert. You can use all sorts of fruits. My mom started out making this with cherries. I like it best with blueberries. But I’ve also used pears and apples when blueberries aren’t in season and have had success.

You basically put all of the ingredients except the fruit in the blender, and then pour the custard mixture over the fruit and bake. It comes out all puffy and just barely golden. The blueberries get all juicy. It’s perfect and rustic all at the same time.

There really isn’t a whole lot to it as far as ingredients go. I ignore the half cup of sugar, and tell myself that it packs lots of dairy with its milk and eggs. I also give myself a pat on the back for the miniscule amount of butter it calls for. I don’t normally gravitate towards desserts with this little butter.

But for its nutritional sensibility, it’s one of those desserts you can’t stop eating once you start. Zach and I polished off more of the pan than I’m willing to disclose last night. And today, the leftovers in the fridge have been taunting me.

I have also been known to eat it for breakfast. Hey, eggs, milk, and fruit? You could do worse...

I have certainly done worse.

Blueberry Clafouti, adapted from French Cooking, Round the World Books

1 pint blueberries

1 ¼ c milk

4 eggs

½ c sugar

1 tsp salt

1 c flour

1 ½ tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.

Place blueberries in round ceramic quiche pan.

Mix together all other ingredients in blender.

Pour custard mixture over fruit and bake for about 30 minutes, until custard is set.