I'm all for serving fresh fruit completely unadorned—especially super-flavorful, at-its-peak fruit—but sometimes, I want something a little jazzier. And a little carbier. For those moments, I turn to one of the easiest summer fruit desserts I know: clafouti.
A classic French country dessert, clafouti is made by pouring a sweet batter, similar to pancake batter, over fresh fruit. The eggy batter then bakes around the fruit, creating a light, airy, pudding-like texture—the perfect mix of airy and custardy. It's typically made with cherries, but plums, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries can all get the clafouti treatment (and, in the autumn, even sautéed apples and pears).
It's one of the easiest desserts around. And, because the recipe only calls for a small amount of flour, one of the easiest to make gluten free; simply swap in an equal amount of brown rice flour. You can also flavor the batter in a variety of ways; add in cocoa powder for a chocolate version or use buttermilk for a nice tang.
The only possible pitfall: Sometimes, clafouti comes out tough and chewy pastry. To avoid that, rest the batter for at least 30 minutes or, ideally, overnight. This lets the protein in the flour chill out and relax. Don't worry—you get to relax when the clafouti is baked.
While the batter rests, prepare the pan and fruit. Traditionally, the pan is buttered and floured, but I like to butter and sugar it, creating a pretty, crystal-like appearance (and nice crunch!) on the outer shell. Clafouti can be baked in any sort of baking dish or pan—fluted baking dishes are classic, but in a pinch a cast iron or even non-stick skillet will do just fine.
A note about the French: They use cherries, and they leave them whole. But you? You can totally pit yours.
