By Ellie Krieger
For The Washington Post
If you’ve ever rifled through your kitchen searching for something — anything — sweet to eat but come up empty-handed, you understand the notion of a dessert emergency. I have experienced many, but didn’t have a name for it until I stumbled on Nigella Lawson’s recipe for a small-batch fudgy “emergency” brownies, which use ingredients most people likely have on hand and come together quickly.
The concept was so helpful that I started brainstorming other possibilities and found clafoutis to be an ideal remedy for an urgently needed dessert.
The fruity, custardy French dish is made with a simple, pourable batter containing staple ingredients such as milk, eggs and flour. It takes minimal effort to pull together, and it’s ready to eat in about an hour. This version uses almond flour, so it also happens to be gluten-free.
The batter couldn’t be easier: After beating eggs and milk with a little honey, you stir in the almond flour, a touch of cardamom and salt. (Don’t use almond meal, which has a coarser texture.)
Pour enough of the batter into a buttered dish to cover the bottom, and bake until it is just set.
Then scatter a generous helping of fresh blueberries on top of that firmer layer — which keeps the berries from sinking to the bottom of the pan — pour the rest of the batter on top, sprinkle with sliced almonds and return the pan to the oven.
As the clafoutis bakes, it fills your kitchen with an enticing aroma, as well as the anticipation of satisfying a craving in a healthful way. The eggy pancake, studded with warm berries, fragrant with cardamom and crunchy with almonds delivers a gently sweet treat that can solve a dessert emergency with very little effort.
Blueberry Almond Clafoutis
This custardy gluten-free dessert made with almond flour and topped with sliced almonds is fragrant with cardamom and brims with blueberries. Lightly sweetened with honey, it’s a more healthful way to satisfy a sweet tooth.
Makes 8 servings (one 10-inch dessert)
INGREDIENTS
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (180 milliliters) whole milk
1/3 cup (115 grams) honey
1 cup (100 grams) almond flour (see Notes)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
2 cups (290 grams) fresh blueberries, rinsed and patted dry
1/4 cup (24 grams) sliced almonds
1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar (optional)
DIRECTIONS
1: Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or deep-dish pie dish with the butter.
2: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and honey until well combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cardamom and salt. Add the almond flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir to combine.
3: Pour enough batter into the prepared skillet or dish to just cover the bottom (about 3/4 cup/180 milliliters), transfer to the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until the batter is just set. (This helps ensure that the berries don’t sink to the bottom.)
4: Scatter the berries on top, then pour the remaining batter over them. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds and continue baking for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until the clafoutis is set, lightly browned on top and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
5: Let cool slightly, 10 to 20 minutes, then sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar, if desired, cut into 8 slices and serve.
Substitutions:
• Instead of blueberries, you can use blackberries, raspberries or pitted cherries, fresh or frozen.
• Cardamom can be replaced with cinnamon. Don’t have honey? Use agave or maple syrup.
• Whole milk can sub out for reduced-fat or low-fat milk, or nondairy milk of your choice.
• Dairy-free? Use nondairy milk of your choice.
• Almonds be replaced with pumpkin seeds (pepitas).
• Instead of butter, you can use nondairy butter.
Notes: Be sure to use almond flour, which has a finer texture, and not almond meal.
Storage note: The clafoutis is best shortly after it’s made; it does not store well.
Per slice: 203 calories, 11.3 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 21 g carbohydrates, 75 mg sodium, 73 mg cholesterol; 7 g protein, 3 g fiber, 17 g sugar
Recipe from cookbook author and ed dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger.
