Plum Clafouti

We're finally down to the last bag of plums in the bottom of the fridge. I had an old recipe I'd saved in my binder and never used for apple clafouti (or more correctly, clafoutis). This is a traditional French fruit dessert, usually made with black cherries, baked in a buttered dish with a thick flan-like batter on top. 

I also had a plum clafouti recipe I secretly tore from a Cooking Light magazine at the hairdressers, but the batter is made with non-fat yogurt and skim milk (instead of butter and cream) to shave off a few calories. What's the point?

Anyway, here's my "plum adaptation" on the traditional French apple recipe. It's so easy, you could do it for a company dinner or holiday dessert with just about any kind of fruit. I might try it later with my canned plum halves. A touch of brandy wouldn't hurt. This is my kind of baking, where you can't go wrong with a little tinkering.

Plum Clafouti

3 eggs
1 cup milk or cream
6 tbs. butter melted
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put the above ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Or use a hand mixer. Generously butter a 10 inch deep dish pie plate and put it in the oven to heat.

Slice about 4 cups of plums and toss them with sugar and cinnamon.

Pour half the cold batter into the hot dish.  That was scary-- I was afraid my beautiful blue pie dish would crack.  (It didn't.) Then toss the plums on top willy-nilly. You don't have to get fancy with the arrangement.

Pour the rest of the batter over the plums, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until browned and set in the middle. This dessert is more like custard than cake.

And really, really good with vanilla ice cream!