Another birthday means another chance to enjoy a sweet treat. For my 31st birthday, I’m celebrating with a super simple french delight – a Pear Clafoutis.
[Post Updated 9/24/19, original post 9/28/17]: One thing that is really great about having a blog is looking back/ It’s sort of like keeping a journal with lots of food and photos, at least for mine. 2017 seems like so long ago, and even though it’s really not, a lot has changed.
There is still a few days until my birthday but my mental recap of the last 2 has already started. As I sit here looking, thinking back at everything that has happened, the good, the challenging, the scary, the joy, the tears and definitely the fears, I feel so fortunate for all of it.
I am healthy, happy (the majority of the time), loved, supported, strong, and grateful… oh so freaken grateful. Every day is a gift and I choose to spend them with my loves eating the best food 🙂
Want to know what’s today? It’s my BIRRRTTTHHDAAAYY! Woot woot! Get it girl. What what!
If you could see me right now… I totally did a Carlton-style dance while I wrote that. “Go shorty, it’s your birthday! We gonna party like it’s yo birthday!”
OK I’ll stop now… well maybe! As you can tell, yes, it IS my birthday today. And yes I love birthdays!
Yes-sirree, I’m that person who just loves birthdays. Not because of the gifts but because it’s a day to celebrate you! Regardless of how old I’m turning, birthdays are an awesome excuse to treat yo’self!
Back in my single days in my 20s “oh hey hey”… I’d celebrate my birthday by treating myself to a fabulous coffee/pastry breakfast before work. Followed by time catching up with friends at work (and minimal actual work time).
I’d try to schedule dinner/cocktails with friends at a trendy restaurant and end the night with a nice buzz, a warm shower, a sappy chick-flick, and a glass of wine 🤗
Today I’m turning 31. CRAZY! Thirty-freaken-one. Long gone are the days in my 20s… and yet my birthday is still pretty kick ass.
This year, I’m looking forward to spending a full day with my handsome husband and 2 babies. Eating, drinking, playing and doing whatever fun family activities the hubs has planned. PS since I’m writing this early in the morning, I have no idea what our day is going to look like, but I know I’m going to love it.
As for my special sweet treat this year, I’m craving a fall inspired Pear Clafoutis. This is technically not a cake but more like a custard style dessert packed with fruit. And it’s crazy easy. So easy in fact that it’s made in a blender!
Traditionally this french dessert is made with cherries, but since it’s fall, I wanted pears and a hint of vanilla. Oh man. This dessert straight out of the oven with a crisp sugary top crust and custardy middle is out of this world!
To make this dessert, you simply add all the ingredients but the fruit and a little sugar to a blender. Mix it up. Pour it over the fruit, sprinkle with sugar and bake. The result is an amazing dessert that is equally good after dinner as it is for breakfast. And pairs beautifully with coffee or tea.
So I guess this is what 31 looks like. Mama of 2 adorable babies, married to the man of my dreams, eating one this delicate Pear Clafoutis. I’d say 31 is going to be a pretty good year.
Equipment
- [amazon text=10 inch Cast Iron Skillet&asin=B00006JSUA]
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 firm but ripe pears
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/3 cup whole or 2% milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Butter a 10” cast iron skillet or 8” baking dish with butter.
- Peel, quarter, core, and chop pears into similarly sized cubes. Spread pears in a single layer.
- In a blender, or with an immersion blender and a bowl, mix the eggs, flour, vanilla and almond extracts, ½ cup sugar, and milk together until smooth.
- Pour the batter over the pears and sprinkle 3 tablespoons of sugar over the fruit and batter.
- Bake the clafoutis until the custard is just set, about 45 minutes. A knife inserted in the middle should come out relatively clean.
- Serve the clafoutis warm or at room temperature with whipped cream. You can also eat this cold, however the crisp sugar top crust will soften in the fridge
Notes
I like making this dessert the day we are going to eat it. Store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. This clafoutis is incredible for dessert or for breakfast.
Recipe slightly adapted from David Lebovitz.
Originally posted 2019-09-20 13:52:00.
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