Le Sucre

by danggoodfood

Photo: Daniel Dent

My wonderful clients Sarah and Vipul had their friends over for an impromptu dinner party.  More than excited I jumped at the chance and made a 4 course dinner. Mind you gluten-free-  It’s a new challenge, but when I actually sat down to UNTHINK – I realized that eating a gluten-free diet isn’t as bad as I thought, considering my love for pasta and Tartine bread – actually most of my diet is fairly gluten-free.  So I began to create their menu…

The dinner was a success!  But a flour-less and low in sugar w/little or no dairy??? desert??  Oh me oh my…what could it be ?

I scoured the internet to find this little gem of a recipe from Scandi Foodie Blog.  I thought it would be the perfect ending to this savory dinner.   I made a few changes including using fresh berries, tossing the berries in some honey before baking,  adding lemon zest, almond milk and cashew butter into the batter.  They loved the desert and I equally loved making it!  I never saw myself committed to baking or sweets but being a personal chef  gives me room to experiment.  I wanted a bit more richness to the desert which sometimes lacks when you exclude butter and sugar in warm deserts.   The result was…there was a crackle of the clafoutis, the almond meal gave it a denseness and the cashew butter lent a hand to give it a richer warm cookie dough consistency.

Dinner Party 2011 April 8th

Chicken Pate w/Sea Salt and Dill & Roasted Artichoke w/Olive Tapenade – Over Sliced Apples.
Crisped Black Sesame Kale w/ a Flageolet Bean Ragout – Radish and Tarragon
Tri Colore Beat Salad w/ Avocado and Preserved Lemon Relish – Chervil
Cod Stew -w/Spring Vegs in a Porcini Broth topped w/Braised Endives
Double Berry Clafoutis. 
 
Double Berry Almond Clafoutis (adapted from Scandi Foodie Blog)

Not a Gluten Free Wayne Thibauld Cake. From SFMOMA Cafe

Photo: Daniel Dent


(serves 4 + depending on the baking vessel)

2 Cups Fresh Berries of your choice.  (I used Blackberries and Blueberries)
3 large free-range eggs
1 1/4 Cup almond meal
1 Cup organic ricotta
1/4 C. Almond Milk
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
4 tbsp raw honey or Agave Nectar
1/4 C. Cashew Butter
Zest of 1 Lemon
Powdered icing sugar, to serve 

 Pre-Heat your oven to 350º. Gently toss berries with 2 tbsp honey divide the berries into 4 ramekins.   Mix the eggs, almond meal, ricotta, vanilla, lemon zest, honey and almond milk in a bowl.  Spoon the batter equally on top of the raspberries on each ramekins. Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Leave to cool slightly, then dust with icing sugar to serve.
Please serve this desert warm*
The next time I do this recipe I am going to try whipping the egg whites into stiff peaks then folding in the rest of the batter including the egg yolks, to see what that would yield.  Also try using this as a tart filling.  Dark Cherries have long been a classic accompaniment to the clafoutis, but this desert is very versatile.  Thank you Scandi Foodie for this great post.
I don’t think that I’ve ever had to use the words GLUTEN & FREE together so many times in one post!….well ever.
I am becoming more fond of deserts and the beauty of baking.  Briefly I worked in the pastry department, have done a couple of wedding cakes, but it’s at home that I realize the fun there is to baking.  There is a finesse, a majesty in the air of baking…a  discipline as well as patience lets learn.  Read more about the origins and the makings of a Clafoutis Here (Click)-Joy Of Baking.
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