Pear Clafouti

Coffee and warmed pear clafouti for breakfast? Yes, it is a great idea.

This was a recipe that I'd been looking forward to trying for the longest of time. Clafoutis (from the old Occitan verb clafir, meaning 'to fill') is a traditional French custard cake that is normally made with unpitted cherries, containing lots of cream and eggs which rises up and envelopes whatever fruit you decide to stud it with.

The version I made is technically called a flaugnarde (another Occitan word fleunhe and flaunhard, meaning 'soft' or 'downy').  

Ingredients:
4 pears, peeled and sliced as you like it (I halved them)
1 TB unsalted butter to grease the baking dish
1/3 + 1 TB granulated sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
6 TB flour
1 1/2 cups cream
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 TB Poire William or Calvados

Heat oven to 375F. Beat eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy, adding the remaining ingredients. Rest the batter 10 minutes (prepare your pears now if you like...). Arrange pears in the baking dish, pour batter over, and bake 35 - 40 minutes until golden brown and raised.

Bruised, slightly over ripe Bartlett pears from the discount section in Natural Provisions
in Willitson... you'd never tell after peeling them.

Enveloped...  I decided to halve the fruit to create decently sized
portions suitable for breakfast

Voluminous!

Sources: Pear Clafoutis Recipe, courtesy of Ina Garten at Food Network