This was about the extent of it. It was no blizzard, that's for sure.
Above is the view out the kitchen window. Forecasts were for snow starting at 6 a.m. and ending before noon, changing to rain. In fact, it didn't start snowing until 12:30, at a point when we thought it was all over.
As you can see looking out the guest bedroom window, there wasn't really much to it. This morning it's not so cold and it is raining outside. Walt and I were both slightly disappointed that we didn't get a little more snow. It would have been pretty, and would have brightened up the environment.
On the spur of the moment, I made a clafoutis aux pruneaux — a kind of crustless prune pie or custard — yesterday afternoon. We didn't have anything else in the house in the way of dessert. A clafoutis is very easy and quick to make, and it is delicious. Besides, prunes are good for you. According to Monique Maine's book La Cuisine pour toute l'année (1969), the ingredients for a clafoutis are:
- 500 grams of fruit
- 80 grams of flour (¾ cup = 6 fl. oz)
- 125 grams of sugar (½ cup = 4 fl. oz)
- 250 ml of milk (1 generous cup)
- 4 eggs
- 60 grams of butter (4 generous tablespoons)
In this case, I used a generous pound of prunes — about two dozen of them. The ones I had were very tender and not too dried out, so I didn't have to soak them. I also didn't pit them. The recipe instructions say to mix together the flour, sugar, and eggs first. Then add the milk gradually, stirring, along with half the butter, melted. The mixture resembles crêpe batter. Butter the baking dish with the rest of the butter, arrange the prunes evenly in the buttered dish, and pour in the batter. I sprinkled some cassonade (raw sugar) over the top and it browned nicely, as you can see. Bake the clafoutis in a 350ºF (180ºC) oven for about 30 minutes, until set and golden brown.
I see that there was a good bit more snow in some other areas not too far from you-- at least you got a Clafoutis out of it :)
ReplyDeleteThe snow line was east of Saint-Aignan. I've seen Dedene's FB posts about the weather where she lives, which is not that far from here.
DeleteI never tried clafoutis aux pruneaux, but I should have because yours looks srumptious. I have tried almost everything else, but as I said before, the best result in the US, apart from cherries of course, was with bananas.
ReplyDeleteI have to try the bananas. We make something called banana pudding in the U.S. South. Sounds similar to me.
DeleteÉvidemment, il faut utiliser des bananes assez mûres. Suivant leur taille, je les coupe en trois ou quatre morceaux que je place verticalement dans le plat sans trop les serrer. De cette façon, la pâte se répartit bien autour des morceaux.
DeleteLove clafoutis! The first ones I tried were made with pears. Then a recipe with raisins and another with blueberries. Thank you Julia Child.
ReplyDeleteBlueberries in clafoutis are very good. Small plums too.
DeleteI made apple upsidedown cake. Kinda similar. We got nothing but drizzly rain yesterday, and a dusting of tiny hail today.
ReplyDeleteClafoutis isn't cakey at all. It's a custard, not a cake. Anyway, I love upside-down cakes. Pineapple, apple, pear...
DeleteLooks wonderful! I don't have prunes but will try it with bananas.
ReplyDeleteI want to try the clafoutis with bananas too. I know how good Southern banana pudding is.
DeleteI immediately thought of Clafoutis aux abricots.
ReplyDeleteYes, fresh apricots when the season comes, or dried apricots, rehydrated if necessary.
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