Summer Fruit Clafoutis

Clafoutis are the perfect, simple, rustic summertime dessert, but are also great for breakfast. They can be made with a variety of fruits (cherries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, apricots, peaches, apples, pears, plums, or even a mixture of fruits…though you may want to vary the amount of sugar you use based on how sweet your fruit is). I, for example, (still!) had some leftover apricots  from yesterday’s tarts, so in addition to making the classic cherry clafoutis, I went ahead and made some with apricots as well. I start by buttering six shallow ramekins, and then sprinkle the inside of each with granulated sugar. Then in a blender I combine 1 ¼ cups half ‘n half, 2/3 cup all purpose flour, 3 large eggs, 1/3 cup granulated sugar (add more or less to taste depending on the sweetness of your fruit), 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract, the zest of one lemon, about a teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/3 of a cup or so of toasted sliced almonds, a teaspoon of baking powder, and a pinch of salt. I arrange a handful of  fruit (in this case pitted cherries and sliced apricots) to each ramekin and cover with the batter (depending on how deep your ramekins are, or if you prefer baking one large clafouti, you may want to pour about 1/4 of a inch of batter into each ramekin and bake for 5 minutes or so, until just set, then add your fruit, to prevent them all from just sinking to the bottom.) Bake for 35-40 minutes in a 350º oven, until they are puffed and golden brown around the edges. These are really best served warm, or hot out of the oven. They are light, sweet, and custardy. The perfect end (or beginning) to any summer day. Enjoy!