The Blueberry Clafoutis is a baked custard in a sweet tart shell with fresh blueberries, this is one of my favorites. Not too sweet, not too rich, it has a perfect balance of flavors and a light creamy texture that’s sure to please just about everyone.

Traditionally, I believe the Clafoutis is only made with unpitted fresh black cherries. Although you can make it with a variety of other fruits and berries, if you do so, the proper name is actually a Flaugnarde, but, seeing as how I’m from Texas and my French accent is really quite terrible, I’m sticking with the name Clafoutis because it sounds better. Ha!

I make my clafoutis recipe with a variety of fruits or berries and some of them might bleed and discolor the custard slightly, no big deal, that just adds to the charm. Since the custard is cooked at a low temperature, some of the fruit may need to be precooked prior to going into the oven as the custard will set before they’re cooked. For example, apples and pears will need to be prebaked or made into a compote prior to going into the custard. The possibilities, flavors, textures, and spices are endless.

Here’s my Blueberry Clafoutis recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ Recipe of pâte sucrée
• 1 ½ cups half and half
• ½ vanilla bean split and scraped
• 3 whole eggs
• ¾ cups of sugar
• 1 pint fresh blueberries

TART SHELL:

-Roll out pâte sucrée to 1/8-inch-thick, place in a tart mold, I use an 11-inch tart mold. Let rest for 30 minutes.

-Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the tart mold

-Gently place the paper on the dough and weight it down, I use dry beans

-Blind bake the tart shell at 350F for 15 minutes, remove the parchment paper and weights, bake for an additional 5 minutes until lightly browned

-Let the shell cool slightly, do not unmold

CUSTARD:

-Combine Half and Half and vanilla bean in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, stirring constantly.

-Combine eggs and sugar and whisk until well combined

-Slowly add 1 cup of warm liquid to the eggs, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs. Repeat twice.

-Place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard and let cool slightly, this pops any bubbles and foam

-Add berries to the tart shell

-Pour custard into the shell, leaving about ¼ of an inch from the top.

-Preheat oven to 325F

-Bake until set, about 25-30 minutes

-Best served warm

In the pictures I’m making a double batch, so don’t be concerned if my quantities look larger than what you’re making. J And if you don’t want a tart shell, Clafoutis can be made in individual ramekins