Clafoutis Quest

Pear-and-Golden-Raisin Clafouti Serves 4

“Clafouti is a shallow puddinglike dessert made with fruit, almost like a dense pancake. Early recipes called for unpitted black cherries because the pit was thought to add flavor to the batter. Using a blender to mix the batter will make the clafouti light and airy. The batter may also be combined in an electric mixer.”

Unsalted butter , for dish

2 medium pears, peeled cored, cut crosswise into ¼-inch slices

2 large eggs

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup granulated sugar

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

¼ cup of golden raisins

1 ½ tablespoons packed light-brown sugar, plus more for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Generously butter a 12 inch-round gratin dish; set aside.

2. Arrange the pear slices in the bottom of the prepared gratin dish. Set aside.

3. In a blender, combine the eggs, 1 cup cream, the flour, granulated sugar, nutmeg, and salt, and process until a batter is formed. Pout the batter around the pears, and sprinkle the top with raisins.

4. Bake until the top begins to set, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle with the light-brown sugar; continue to bake until the clafouti is set and golden brown on top, about 8 minutes. In a large bowl, whip the remaining ¾ cup cream until sof peaks form. Remove the clafouti from the oven, and serve with whipped cream and a sprinkle more of brown sugar.