Apple clafouti

  • Preparation Time15 mins
  • Cooking Time20 mins
  • Serves6
  • DifficultyMedium

For the batter

70g plain flour
90g caster sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
240ml whole milk

For the apples

1/4 vanilla pod, split lengthwise
Pinch salt
30g unsalted butter
1 large Granny Smith apple peeled and sliced
30g caster sugar
1 tsp grappa, Calvados, or other fruit brandy
Icing sugar for dusting
85g creme fraiche
1) Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas Mark 6.

2) Make the batter: sift the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolk, and milk until well blended. Add about 1/3 of the egg mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until smooth, then gradually incorporate the remaining egg mixture. Whisk until well blended. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

3) Cook the apples: with the tip of a knife, scrape the vanilla pod seeds from the pod into an ovenproof 25cm oven proof dish. Add the pod and the butter and cook over moderately high heat until the butter turns nut brown. Add a pinch of salt. Add the apples and cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 2 mins. Remove the vanilla pod and discard. Sprinkle the apples with the sugar, reduce the heat to moderately low, and cook until the apples are almost cooked through and the sugar has melted and is coating the apples in a light syrup. Add the grappa or other brandy off the fire while pouring, place back on the fire, wait for flame to die down, then swirl the pan briefly. Spread the fruit evenly in the dish.


5) Put some icing sugar in a sieve and generously dust the surface of the clafouti. Serve warm directly from the dish with a dollop of creme fraiche.

Michael's Notes: If you plan to serve individual clafoutis from mini dishes, heat the dishes in the oven until quite hot, about 5 mins, then divide the cooked fruit among the dishes, top with the batter, and bake. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the dishes.
*Cook's Note: To make a cherry clafouti, use 180g pitted cherries. Substitute 3g grated lemon zest for the cinnamon and Grand Marnier for the grappa.

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