The easiest baked dessert on earth! photo Abigail Weber

Let me preface this baking recipe by admitting that I am not much of a baker. Savory food is where it’s at for me. I like to toss my ingredients in the pan and see what kind of magic I can conjure up. Needless to say, the science of baking can be a real challenge for me. So when I started French cooking school, and the first baked dish we learned was clafoutis, it was like a revelation. A baked dessert that you create using a blender!? That’s my kind of patisserie. Clafoutis has stayed with me all these years as one of my favorite ways to put late summer fruit to good use. Classically it’s made with cherries. But we received apricots at the CSA this week, so there you go. This dessert could not be simpler. It’s basically a blended crepe batter that cooks around fresh fruit. The result is a delicate baked custard with slightly crisped edges and luscious fruit nestled in the middle. I recommend serving this warm, dusted with confectioners’ sugar, topped with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream.

Serves 6

1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise, seeds scraped
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8-10 small apricots (a little over 3/4 lb), halved and pitted or 4 medium apricots, pitted and quartered.
2 tablespoons dessert white wine (such as a Sauternes)
Confectioners’ sugar and vanilla ice cream, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a blender, combine the milk, cream, eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla bean seeds, zest, and salt. Blend until combined. Add the flour and pulse just until combined.
3. In a 10-inch round deep ovenproof frying pan pour in the melted butter and swirl it around to coat the pan. Place the apricots in the pan and coat them all over with the butter. If you are using apricot halves, arrange them skin-side up, sprinkle over the 1 tablespoon sugar, and pour over the dessert wine.
4. Pour the batter over the apricots and bake until puffed and golden and a skewer inserted into the center of the clafoutis comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly for about 15 minutes. Serve warm, sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar and topped with vanilla ice cream, if you like.

Nutritional analysis based on 6 servings:
Calories 229, Fat 13g, Sodium 56mg, Carbohydrate 23g, Fiber 0g, Sugar 21g, Protein 3g