Plum clafoutis

I love this time of year when the leaves turn shades of deep plum and tumeric orange against cold blue skies and the first hint of chilly winter winds pinch your cheeks red and have you digging about for your favourite winter scarf. After a week of frosted breathed mornings like these, came the inevitable rain and concrete grey skies that drive you indoors, to curl up on your couch with a book, while the apartment fills with the cakey aroma of baking sugar and fruit - is there any more comforting smell in the world?

While a clafoutis is traditionally made with cherries and eaten when cooled like a cake, served warm straight from the oven more like a pudding with a scoop of icecream gives this dessert a whole new autumnal personality. I made these little individual ones with the very last of the late summer plums that I found on my market, but the cakey batter also goes deliciously with pears or apples.

I used Lauraine Jacobs’ recipe - who I find to be endlessly knowledgeable about food and who has a wonderful sense for seasonal dishes and combining flavours. I liked the use of orange flower with the plums, so added orange zest as well to amplify that flavour. Served with an fleur d’orange ice cream it is absolutely delicious.

melted butter (enough to brush your baking dish)
10 ripe red plums, halved and stoned
4 eggs
6 tablespoons organic raw sugar
5 tablespoons flour
500ml cream
1 tablespoon orange-flower water
70g flaked almonds
icing sugar to dust
zest of one orange

First preheat the oven to 190°C and brush a large ovenproof dish with melted butter (a large quiche dish works well, as do little ramekins or soufflé dishes if you prefer to do individual ones).
Beat the eggs with the sugar and flour until smooth, and then add the cream and mix well. Finally add the orange-flower water and zest. Pour this mixture over the plums, (placed cut side down in the dish) and sprinkle the top with the flaked almonds. Bake for around 40 minutes until the batter is set and puffs up.