We’ve hit a bit of wet and rainy weather here in the south and while making this recipe, I realized one very important fact about fall comfort food… the smell of apples and pears simmering in a mixture of butter and sugar can go a long way to lift anyone’s spirits.
In fact, I looked up many different tart and cake recipes before settling on this one because 1) it’s so dang simple… and 2) the apple-pear combo is definitely a crowd pleaser.
Last year I shared my mother-in-law’s (la belle mere!) basic clafoutis recipe and this recipe uses the same base, I’ve just added a few of the “star” fruits of the season. I’ve seen some recipes that call for using canned pears, but I found that since the pears are first cooked (don’t forget to add a dash of rum!), they come out very soft and tender in the baked clafoutis. Also, the sprinkle of almonds added a nice touch of “crunch” at the end.
I hope you enjoy this fall clafoutis… and if we’re being honest, since the temps have dropped and things are getting all comfy-cozy around here, I really can’t wait for Christmas baking season to start. My to-do list of Christmas “bûches” is growing… a tiramisu bûche? Chestnut and chocolate? I think I’ll be rollin’ many a yule log (bûche) come December.
Enjoy et à bientôt!
Clafoutis aux pommes, poires, et amandes
Ingredients:
1 cup of corn starch for gluten-free (or 1 cup of flour)
3 apples & 3 pears
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup of milk
2 + 2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon rum
4 eggs
2 packets of vanilla sugar (or 2 tablespoons regular sugar if unavailable)
3/4 cup of sliced almonds
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
1. Peel the apples & pears and cut them into cubes. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan, add the apples & pears, the packet of vanilla sugar, and the rum. Brown the apple-pear mixture until the rum has evaporated & set mixture aside.
2. Melt an additional 2 tablespoons of butter and set it aside.
3. Mix the cornstarch (or flour), sugar, & eggs together in a large bowl. Add in the milk and melted butter and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth (no lumps!).
4. Place the apple & pear mixture in a well-buttered pan (I usually use an 8-inch round Pyrex). Pour the clafoutis batter over the apples/pears and top with the sliced almonds. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Clafoutis should have a firm center and the apples/pears should be brown on top.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with vanilla sugar (or regular sugar); serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
recipe credit: my mother-in-law
Belle Provence Travels 
This looks excellent. I like the addition of almonds at the end.
I’ve been in the mood for apple tart lately… but there are too many apple varieties to choose from that I’m still working on what kind of tart I want. 🙂
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I know Holly, hard to choose just one… my next tart will actually be a “tourte” – have never made one before but love how they look in the recipe photos 🙂
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This made me smile, Tuula, because just this weekend I picked up fresh cherries and told Bear, “I’m making clafoutis!!” 🙂
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I can’t wait to try this! So easy and healthy and, as you say, there’s nothing like the smell of simmering apples in the fall to make any kitchen feel très cozy.
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This looks delicious. There are lots of apples and pears around and will be available for quite a while. So on the weekend, I will be making one of these for a Saturday or Sunday lunch when I do the cooking. Have a great week Tuula.
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Good luck with your baking Michel, can’t go wrong with these fall fruits!
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