Peach Clafoutis

This month's Secret Recipe Club assignment was a real challenge for me.  Alessio at Recipe Taster: Savor the Unexpected has an amazing collection of recipes.  Alessio is an Italian living in Germany, he is a physicist, an artist and a chef.  This wonderful mix is reflected in his food and the beautiful pictures on his blog.

The wonderful assortment of recipes led to a great deal of deliberation, which lead to procrastination.  Which resulted in me still not having made anything the day before the reveal.  One of my top choices all along had been Swiss Chard and Almond Gundi.  I struggle with how to use greens and am always looking for new recipes.  Unfortunately when it came time to make something I didn't have any Swiss Chard on hand.  Luckily I am getting some in this week's vegetable delivery so I will still be able to give it a try.

I finally decided to make the Peach and Apricot Clafoutis, but I had to make one change.  The recipe called for  "Quark" which, before a little research was not something I was familiar with. After a little research I discovered Quark is a fresh cheese similar to curd or cottage cheese, it is available in the US as farmer's cheese.  Since I procrastinated I didn't have time to go to the cheese store, or any store for that matter, so I substituted the Quark with Greek yogurt. I also decided to use milk instead of water to get a little more fat into  it.  

I served it with a blueberry lavender sauce and it paired up beautifully in looks and taste.

This is another great dessert to have in your collection.  The peaches can be substituted with cherries, berries apples, or what ever you have on hand and is in  season.  You can make it quickly, it looks impressive and the final results will impress your most finicky guest.

Peach Clafoutis


2 eggs
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup Milk
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 peaches

Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly butter a small baking dish.
In large bowl lightly whip eggs.  Stir in yogurt and milk.  Add flour and sugar mix until just combined.  Pour into prepared baking dish.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden and slightly firm to the touch.
Serve warm

*if you happen to have some leftovers this makes a wonderful breakfast treat.  In a frying pan melt a tablespoon of butter, add a slice cook on each side until golden brown.  Serve with the sauce or fresh berries.

Meringue Cups

It is Cake Slice time and I am happy to say that I actually got this month's recipe done on time.  Well, almost on time, I made it on the reveal date, but am getting it up a day late.  And since I am being honest I didn't really make the dessert, Maggie did.

This month the winning recipe was Tish Boyle's Meringue Cups with Lime Cream and berries.  This is one of those desserts that looks very impressive, but is super easy to make.  Another plus is that it can be made ahead of time and then assembled quickly at dessert time.

I also love this dessert because it is great to make with kids.  I worked with Maggie and she made the meringue and cut the berries pretty much by herself, while I did the lime curd.  Separating eggs is a great task for kids.  It is an opportunity to play with food that is oohy and gross.  Just remember to use 3 bowls when separating so if a yolk breaks it does not ruin your whites.

I like to use the hand mixer when making small batches of meringue.  It is much easier to watch the whites transform from a thick gelatinous liquid to soft billowy peaks when using a hand mixer.  I would also recommend that if you haven't done it in a while to take the time to whisk up egg whites the old fashioned way - by hand with a metal whisk in a copper bowl.  It is a really neat experience to feel the transformation of the white.

Meringue is also great for practicing piping skills.  It is easy for small hands to squeeze out and I think the cups look even better in funky shapes, it gives more surface for the cream and berries to cling to.

The curd can be a little trickier for kids, but it isn't that difficult if you are willing to stand at the stove and stir while it cooks and thickens.  Let the curd cool, then just before serving lighten it with a little whipped cream.

As I said this is a great dessert for your repertoire.  It is wonderful any time of year topped with whatever fresh or frozen fruit you have available.  But the thing I love best about it is the joy on the chef's face when it is presented.