Pear and Hazelnut Clafoutis

The Gourmandise School   of Sweets and Savories

Heritage. We're back! I took a brief hiatus from this weekly exchange to hop over to France and say goodbye to my sweet (and often salty) grand-mère. Mamie Gateau, as we called her, had to swear off sugar before I was born, a doctor's order that fueled her insatiable love of sweets. She'd sprinkle sugar packets in our oranges juice, store collections of cookies in her locked cupboard and make a clafoutis whenever it suited her (me). Clafoutis is traditionally made with either apricots or cherries, but we've got a few more months to wait before these come in. You can spike the custard with a bit of Calvados for a more grown-up (and grand-mère approved) flavor.  Pear and Hazelnut Clafoutis Toss together and set aside: 3 pears, cored and sliced each into 6 long pieces 3 Tbsps sugar Whisk together in a medium bowl: 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup milk (whole milk is best) Whisk together in a large bowl: 1 cup almond or hazelnut flour 1/3 cup flour  Set aside: 1/3 cup chopped, toasted hazelnuts 1. Butter the sides of a 9 or 10" springform pan (or cake pan, though you'll have to wait for the clafoutis to cool before removing it unless you use a springform). Sprinkle sugar over the butter. 2. Strain the liquid ingredients over the dry and mix until just combined. 3. Arrange the pears in a spiral pattern, then pour the custard down the sides of the cake pan. Sprinkle the nuts over the batter. 4. Bake at 350 for about one hour, or until it just sets and doesn't feel wet in the center. Wishing you a delicious day,  Clémence and Hadley