Apple Clafouti

Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

Show: Food Network SpecialsEpisode: All-Star Desserts

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (5)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(5)

Cook Time:
20 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
6 servings

Times:

Prep: 15 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 20 min
Total:: 35 min

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Ingredients

Batter:

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 cup whole milk

Apples:

1/4 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Pinch salt
1 1/2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apple (about 1 large apple)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon grappa, Calvados, or other fruit brandy
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
1/3 cup creme fraiche

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

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 plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the apples.

Cook the apples: With the tip of a knife, scrape the vanilla bean seeds from the pod into an ovenproof 10-inch cast iron or stainless steel skillet. 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 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean 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, the swirl the pan briefly. Spread the fruit evenly in the skillet.

Working quickly, pour batter evenly over the fruit. Bake until the edges of the clafouti are puffed and browned and the center is set, about 15 minutes.

Put some confectioners' sugar in a sieve and generously dust the surface of the clafouti. Serve warm directly from the pan with a dollop of creme fraiche.

Michael's Notes: If you plan to serve individual clafoutis from mini pans, heat the pans in the oven until quite hot, about 5 minutes, then divide the cooked fruit among the pans, top with the batter, and bake. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the pans.

To make a cherry clafouti, use 1 1/4 cups pitted cherries. Substitute 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest for the cinnamon and orange flavored liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier) for the grappa.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Apple Clafouti
Dawn Valley Village, CA 09-25-2008
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Question about using fruit brandy
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

What could you use instead of the alcohol/fruit brandy? I don't drink and I don't keep that stuff in the house, and I don't... want to buy a whole bottle of it for 1 tsp. Does it make a huge difference to just leave it out, or is there a substitute? Thanks!Read more
recipe Apple Clafouti
Anonymous 11-18-2007
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great but grease the pan and don't overbake
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is a wonderful recipe but don't make the mistakes I did 1) Grease the pan. I made this using a copper saute pan with... stainless surface. Thought it would do well as a serving dish. The clafouti stuck to the pan. I made it again and coated the pan with butter and it worked fine. You could also use an oven-safe nonstick. 2) Don't overbake. Just like cheesecake or bread pudding, this dish dries out if overbaked. We have a convection oven and it was done perfectly in 15 minutes.Read more
recipe Apple Clafouti
Brianna elbert, CO 06-01-2007
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WOW!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This dessert was sooooo delicious!!! I made it for my family and they scarfed it down! I actually did it a little... differently, and my family said it was like an apple souffle. Here is what i did: I did everything the recipe said except i used bread flour, and it came out incredible! Also, when the apples were cooked the second time, and you were supposed to pour the brandy, i didn't do that. I took the apples off and added some grand marnier to them. Then i put the batter into 5 little clear baking dishes, and topped that with the apples and placed the dishes on a baking sheet (so it doesnt make a mess) and i baked them. I did 5 dishes instead of 6 because when it cooked, it puffed up over the edges like a souffle, and yes some batter and apples were wasted, but it turned out so beautiful. Then once they came out i poured caramel sauce in the middle, and topped it with powdered sugar. But you have to serve them right away or else they will fall like souffles do. :P Thats my version of an apple souffle :)Read more
recipe Apple Clafouti
ELIZABETH Kirkwood, MO 02-18-2006
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good and easy
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Tastes great and is indeed easy but makes more than you think. I thought one apple would not be enough for 4 people so I... tripled the recipe. Worked well but I may be eating clafouti for a week!Read more
recipe Apple Clafouti
Theresa Philadelphia, PA 11-27-2005
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Terrific
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Not only was this excellant,,it was very easy to prepare. The amounts of sugar 1/3 cup +2 tablespoons was perfect. Not to... sweet. Just right. And it was also eye-catching,pleasing to the eye. Thank you Michael for this scrumptious desert.Read more