Honey Whole Wheat Clafoutis With Raspberries

One of my favorite bits from the old Peter Sellers Inspector Clouseau Pink Panther movies (imagine Clouseau’s fake French accent)

Clouseau: Does your dog bite?

Hotel Clerk: Non.

Clouseau: [bowing down to pet the dog] Nice doggie.

[Dog barks and bites Clouseau in the hand]

Clouseau: I thought you said your dog did not bite!

Hotel Clerk: That eez not my dog.

I saw this recipe online and followed it back to the source (Ellie Krieger, Special to The Washington Post) and as I had a pint of raspberries left over in the fridge I thought this would make a good, perhaps even, elegant breakfast, rather than a dessert.  Actually, clafoutis [klah-foo-TEE] is a basic pancake which is baked rather than cooked on a griddle, but it sure sounds fancy.

The recipe calls for pastry flour (low gluten) to make a more tender, “pancake” type structure. Not having any whole wheat pastry flour, I substituted regular whole wheat flour and added a little cornstarch. I didn’t have a lemon so substituted ½ teaspoon of key lime juice for a little tartness. I made a half recipe, used a 6” pie plate and topped it with some fresh Vermont maple syrup, cutting the ingredients below in half. Perhaps next time I would add a little baking powder to help the rise some.

Dusted Pie Plate with Berries

Batter Added to Pie Plate

Baked Clafoutis

Finished Clafoutis

Using low-fat milk, whole wheat flour and honey rather than sugar increases the healthfulness of this recipe. I did dust the oiled pie plate with a little caster sugar. In hindsight, I probably wouldn’t do that again. It didn’t add anything to the clafoutis.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup low-fat (1 percent) milk
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 9 ounces (2 cups) fresh raspberries
• 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, for serving

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9-inch pie plate or ceramic dish with cooking oil spray.
2. Whisk together the eggs, milk, honey, butter, lemon zest and salt in a mixing bowl until well incorporated, then gradually whisk in the flour, to form a smooth batter.
3. Pour into the pie plate, then add the raspberries; top sides down will help them to stay upright as you work. Bake (middle rack) for 40 to 50 minutes, until the clafoutis is golden brown and center is set.
4. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar and serve right away.