If you're looking for a dessert to impress guests, try this maple pear clafoutis made with fresh pears and real maple syrup. Top with powdered sugar for a simple but decadent dessert.
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 45 minutesminutes
Servings 8
Ingredients
2cups(330g)firm-ripe pears, peeled, cored, and diced, about 3 pears
Add the diced pears to a small bowl. Drizzle the lemon juice over the pears and stir to coat. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Use the butter to grease a 9-inch round ovenproof skillet or baking dish. Sprinkle the bottom and sides with the sugar.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and maple syrup together until smooth. Whisk in the flour and salt until smooth. Whisk in the cream and vanilla until well combined.
Layer the pears evenly in the bottom of the pan. Pour the batter over the pears. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the custard is set. Check halfway through and if the custard is getting too brown, tent it with aluminum foil.
When you remove the clafoutis from the oven it will jiggle a little. That is normal. Set it on a wire rack to cool. It is also normal for it to deflate some as it cools. Once it has cooled, dust it with powdered sugar and serve.
Notes
Pears: Use Bartlett or D'Anjou pears for the best results. They have good flavor, sturdy texture, and tend to be less "mealy". Look for pears that are just ripe but not too ripe. The skin should be slightly yellow instead of green. If the pears are too ripe they will disintegrate when cooked.
Cream: I like a rich clafoutis so this recipe uses all cream in the custard base. If you feel the custard is too rich for you, you can use half cream and half milk.
Baking pan: Traditional clafoutis is baked in a ceramic pan but you can use a cast iron, as I did here. Either will work but the final result will be slightly different. The cast iron results in more browning with crisp edges.
Mix it up: Try soaking the pears in pear brandy before adding them to the skillet.