The beautifully photographed clafoutis in Sarah Raven’s In Season convinced me to try the recipe. It was a bad idea. Clafoutis is a dessert that I just don’t like, even when expertly executed.
I’m convinced that Clafoutis (clah-foo-tee) is a dessert whose prevalence is tied to excess or abundance. Unless I happen to have pounds of cherries lying around, I’d rather make any other fruit dessert: a crumble, crisp, cobbler, pie, pandowdy, shortcake, etc. When Pittsburgh cherries cost anywhere from 3.99-7.99 per pound, it seems tragic to waste them on a glorified pancake.
The traditional cherry clafoutis is made with unpitted cherries. I know few people who want to work around pits during dessert. While most recipes (simple mixes of flour, eggs, sugar, and milk) seem designed to highlight the fruit, the low fat content makes them bland and rubbery. I have yet to make a clafoutis recipe that lived up to its promise of “custard-like” texture. If you want custard, why not make a flan?
If you still want to make it, know that Clafoutis is best served shortly after baking, while it’s puffed and warm. I think it’s most attractive when served in individual portions or a cast-iron skillet, preferably with some ice cream or powdered sugar on top.
Does anyone else dislike clafoutis?
10 comments:
I don t like clafoutis either but this looks good :)
I've never tasted clafoutis. I love your picture.
i too made a clafouti after being seduced by a beautiful photograph in a magazine. never again!
Add me to the list. I hate clafoutis. I made it once and it was so disappointing, but was told by a friend that that's just how they are. Ugh.
Ha, I too hate clafoutis! And I grew up in France, where a lot of friends' moms served me clafoutis. Hate the texture. Then again, I also hate the flan that you buy in French bakeries.
that's so sad! i've never made clafoutis and the one time i had it i was relatively indifferent but maybe i will have to try making it!
I had a cherry clafoutis for dessert at 58 L'Tour Eiffel in Paris. It was bland and flavorless and the texture was very chewy. Apparently this is common:) Bleck. I prefer a good fruit cobbler any day!
Love Cherry Clafoutis! Sorry you ladies dislike them so much.
Clafoutis is hands down my least favorite french pastry. Not only is the presentation undesirable (sugar water saturated cherries covered in a gelatiny/rubbery custard), it just doesn't taste very good. I'd take a creme brulee served with cherry sauce over clafoutis any day.
I made clafoutis too and I just don't like it. Such an odd and strange tasting dessert. I made it right too cause my friend told me that's how they are. But it was terrible.
Post a Comment