Last week I picked up some gorgeous blackberries from a local farm. I was so excited about the fruit at the market and when I saw them there was no question in my mind that they would be mine. I picked them up for $3.00 and started plotting what they would become. Ultimately, I decided that they needed to become clafoutis….then, I remembered that I had some lavender in the pantry, purchased at a spice shop on a little mini-trip we took last week. I don’t know why, but for some reason lavender and blackberry seemed perfectly paired to me.
Let me tell you a funny story about clafoutis (I’m getting to the pronunciation…that’s part of the story!). For one of our anniversaries (maybe our 4th? 5th? Somewhere around that point in time) we received a gift certificate to a very swanky fine dining restaurant here in town. When we got there, it was clear we were out of our element (we were super-young and not really what I would call “foodies” at this point in time). 
This was the kind of place where the servers don’t smile. They’re all business (it should be noted that this is the only fine dining establishment I have visited in town like this). My husband ordered the Kobe beef, pronouncing it “Ko-Bee”. Our server looked at him and said, “It’s Ko-BAY.” Wow. Nevermind that I have heard some chefs say Ko-Bee and others say Ko-BAY. It was clearly very important to this guy that we say it his way. Anyway, when it was time to order dessert, we decided to get the clafoutis. We had never heard of it, but it sounded nice. So, Philip says, “We’ll have the….cla-FOO-tee.” And the server says, “It’s klah-foo-TEE.” Um, okay. Sorry we’re not down with your French pronunciations. So there you go. It’s klah-foo-TEE.
The pretentiousness of this story is made even more ridiculous when you consider that clafoutis (which can also be spelled clafouti) originated as a peasant dessert in France. It’s amazing to me how so many dishes with fancy French names are so simple (and inexpensive!) but because the names are difficult to pronounce we allow fine-dining restaurants to elevate them to a degree that we find them inaccessible unless someone with a culinary degree is making them for us. French words may be difficult to pronounce, but French food is rarely difficult to prepare. Overwhelmingly, the perfection of many French foods is in their simplicity. Just buy Mastering the Art of French Cooking and you will see.
The original recipe actually calls for milk, but I had just used some local buttermilk in my cornbread that we had for dinner, and as I was reading the ingredients for my recipe I thought, “Why not?” Buttermilk always adds a delicious tang and depth of flavor to baked goods and if I have it available I will frequently substitute it for milk. Crème anglaise is essentially “English cream” and is a pourable custard sauce. Again, the name sounds fancy, but this was by far the least labor-intensive custard I’ve ever made. Thirty minutes start to finish and that included reading the recipe, actually making the crème, taking photos, and cleaning up after. The clafoutis? Besides baking, it took five minutes. Seriously. Five. And I made the batter in my blender. Food with fancy French names is well within your reach!
Blackberry-Buttermilk Clafoutis with Lavender Crème Anglaise
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
A simple yet elegant blackberry clafoutis topped with a lavender-infused crème anglaise, perfect for showcasing fresh berries with a touch of French flair.
Ingredients
- For the crème anglaise: 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons boiling milk
- 2 tablespoons food-grade dried lavender
- For the clafoutis: 1 1/2 cups blackberries, rinsed
- 1/2 + 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 eggs (I halved the original recipe, which calls for 3 eggs. I beat one of the eggs and poured half of it into a bowl)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- good pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch pie dish or cast-iron skillet.
- For the crème anglaise: In a small mixing bowl, gradually beat the sugar into the egg yolks until the mixture is pale yellow and thickened, forming ribbons when the whisk is pulled out (2-3 minutes).
- In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. Remove from heat and add the dried lavender. Let it steep for 5 minutes, then strain out the lavender.
- Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 5-7 minutes). Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
- For the clafoutis: In a blender, combine the flour, sugar, salt, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
- Pour a thin layer of the batter into the prepared dish and bake for 5 minutes, just until it begins to set.
- Remove from the oven and scatter the blackberries over the partially set batter. Pour the remaining batter over the berries.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the clafoutis is puffed and golden brown. A knife inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Let cool slightly, then dust with powdered sugar before serving. Serve with the lavender crème anglaise drizzled over the top.
Notes
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can substitute with regular milk, but the tanginess will be less pronounced. The clafoutis can be served warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently before serving. The lavender crème anglaise can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 20
- Sodium: 60
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 6
- Cholesterol: 100
this is such a great dessert!