Today, we are going to be making a Paleo Strawberry Peach Clafoutis. I do apologize for skipping a week, but this past week was 9/15 and for any tax accountants out there, you know the significance of that date. It’s one of the busier extension deadlines which means I was chained to my cubicle, no shower, no sleep, 30 second bathroom breaks under close supervision… ok, I may be exaggerating but it’s pretty accurate. Good news is, that is all behind us. It’s September (Man, the weather has been perfect) and pumpkin spiced lattes have officially invaded all cafes. Not only am I anxiously developing new recipes with the fall harvests, I am also working on some new backdrops to accommodate the change in seasons. When you are doing what you love, time is irrelevant. And another very important date is 9/16. It is the anniversary for Dev and I. I am lucky to have such a smart, beautiful and supportive woman in my life. To Dev, thank you for everything, I love you!
Now that we are on the topic of my girlfriend, her favorite holiday is Halloween. Most people can’t wait until Christmas (Like myself) and go nuts months in advance (Yup, that would be me). This woman only does that for Halloween. Which means Halloween decorations started popping up at the end of August (we struck a deal that she gets two months of Halloween and I get two months of Christmas, but she snuck in an extra week). Convinced by Dev that we did not have enough Halloween decor, I had a craft mission bestowed upon me and for days I have been squeezing spiders, zombies, bats and ghosts into my already busy schedule. I felt like I was working in a sweat shop. It makes her happy and as long as it isn’t skeletons, it makes my son happy too.
Enough of my rambling, let’s talk more about this amazing strawberry peach clafoutis. It has a flan like texture, kind of a cross between a brulee and a souffle. It is smooth, soft, custard-y and spoons full of heaven! It is very easy to make and contains only a few ingredients. This simple recipe is definitely one that can impress.
Strawberry Peach Clafoutis
2 Whole – Fresh Peaches (Sliced)
6-8 – Fresh Strawberries (Sliced)
1¼ Cups – Almond Milk (Sweetened)
4 – Eggs
2/3 Cups – Coconut Palm Sugar
½ Cup – Cassava Flour
3 Tbsp – Grassfed Butter
1 Tsp – Ground Cardamon
1 Tbsp – Vanilla Extract
Zest of 1 Whole Lemon
¼ Tsp – Salt
Before we start the Strawberry Peach Calfoutis, let’s talk about the ingredients first. I like to use sweetened vanilla almond milk because it is already sweet with a hint of vanilla. This sets a great base to the clafoutis. As for the coconut palm sugar, I used the palm sugar blocks chopped up finely.
Now, let’s get started. Start by slicing the fruits into half inch slices. Preheat the oven to 350° and while the oven preheats, we can start working on our batter. In a mixing bowl/blender, mix together the almond milk, eggs, 1/3 cup of coconut sugar, vanilla extract, ground cardamon, salt and cassava flour. We need to mix or blend it until it is smooth and without lumps. It is very important to ensure no lumps are in the batter, because that is what makes the strawberry peach clafoutis silky and flan-like. If in doubt, you can run your batter through a fine mesh.
Now, butter an oven safe dish, such as a cast iron skillet. Pour about a quarter inch of batter in the skillet and put it in the oven for 8 minutes until the batter is set. Remove the pan from the oven and lay the sliced fruit evenly on top of the set batter. After you have the fruit laid out, pour the rest of the batter into the skillet and pop that baby back in the oven for another 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the Strawberry Peach Clafoutis.
Once the strawberry peach clafoutis is cooked thoroughly, I like to pour the remaining 1/3 cup of coconut sugar on top and set the oven on hi-broil to create a crusty and crunchy sugar coating like a creme brulee. It really adds a great texture to the dessert.
When the sugar is nice and brown on top, remove from the oven and let the strawberry peach clafoutis cool for 15 minutes before serving. Clafoutis are usually served with powdered sugar or whipped cream. I served my strawberry peach clafoutis with my own paleo powdered sugar (To make a paleo friendly powdered sugar, grind together finely chopped coconut palm sugar with potato starch in a coffee grinder). You can sprinkle some powdered sugar on top, add a big spoonful of whipped cream, or if you want to indulge, add a scoop of vanilla ice-cream to it. It is a fairly versatile dessert and can be served up in many different ways, and is up to you free-thinkers to make it your own dessert. There it is my friends, my paleo Strawberry Peach Clafoutis. I hope you have enjoyed my recipe. Eat up!
