Strawberry Clafoutis “Clafoutis aux fraises”

Strawberry what?  Exactly.  That is the question I got when I made this.  This is my first Clafoutis and I had to look up the origin and definition of it.  So here is goes for you others that are new to Clafoutis as well.

Clafoutis is a baked French dessert of black cherries arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter. The clafoutis is dusted with powdered sugar and served lukewarm.

A traditional Limousin clafoutis contains pits of the cherries. According to baking purists, the pits release a wonderful flavor when the dish is cooked. If the cherry pits are removed prior to baking, the clafoutis will be milder in flavor.

Even if the clafoutis is most classically made with cherries it will gladly open its arms to any other fruit, and in this case, strawberries.

I was looking for new strawberry desserts and came across this recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini. I have to say it was good and so easy to make. Not only that it is sugar free, so the sweetness is all from the strawberries! Try it out!

Strawberry Clafoutis

Serves 6

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 cups fresh strawberries
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole blanched almonds
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
A pinch of salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp light rum
Confectioner’s sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8-inch-square glass or ceramic baking dish with one tablespoon of the butter. Melt the remaining butter and set aside. Rinse the strawberries under cool water — do not soak or they will loose some of their flavor. Set aside.

In a food processor mix together the flour and almonds until finely ground. Add the sugar, cornstarch and salt, and mix again. Crack in the eggs one by one, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Pour in the melted butter, milk and rum, and mix again until well blended. The mixture will be thin, like pancake batter.

Hull the strawberries, cut in halves or quarters depending on their size, and arrange in a single layer in the prepared dish.. Drizzle the batter over the strawberries, and put the dish in the oven to bake for 40 minutes, until puffy and set.

Transfer dish to a rack, and let cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar, and serve. Clafoutis is traditionally served on its own, but if you like you can add a few fresh strawberries on the side, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a little whipped cream.

Enjoy!