PLUM & DRIED BLACK GRAPE FRANGIPANE CLAFOUTIS…INSPIRED BY TARTLETTE
Logan Pearsall Smith
Danced off Helen’s beautiful blog, Tartlette’s, the other day, in a dreamy trance. Two thoughts rang through my head. Helen’s hub B smashing the tops of the dreamy desserts, and an urgency to recreate the delightful dessert as soon as possible. Not the first time a fruit dessert has done this to me. Did it off Judy‘s blog, No Fear Entertaining when the peach season began and I instantly made Apricot Cherry Mini Crisps. Then again, off Ari’s blog, Baking and Books with Plums & Brown Sugar Cakes in July… and many times in between. I call it inspirational blogging!! 
Dived into the fridge looking for fruit. Darn … just pears and green apples! And then I saw them; tucked into the back – a bag of plums, very sour! My mother is a die hard fruit shopper. She loves to buy fruit, but I virtually fall at her feet and beg her not too. She has no idea of how to choose good fruit, yet she goes, again and again, shopping for fruit at any ones recommendation, which is how these plums landed up on my doorstep. For Rohan, she announced, who loves plums. One bite & Rohan abandoned them in a hurry … ‘They are SO SOUR Mama!‘, he whimpered, with a puckered up mouth! I thought, ‘No problem, plum jam!’… but that never happened of course. 
Thank you sweet Tartlette … for helping me find me a plum position for my plums! I began to write my thoughts as they baked, looking lovely, popping out of the little baking dishes. I used a variety because I wanted to experiment. Couldn’t wait for the kids to get back home and see them with 100 watt lights in their eyes. Then dive into them…YUM! Worth a million bucks I tell ya! 
In the hurry to get baking that morning, I realised I was out of unsalted butter. India is a strange country. You can find plenty of salted butter, but white butter or unsalted butter for baking is rare. I usually make my own unsalted / sweet butter for baking. I did have salted butter, but also on hand was clarified butter or ghee, and I used just that. In too went some dried black grapes. 
I had bought some bags of black grapes, somewhat like raisins, when I went to Old Delhi, but the kids didn’t like them in their muffins. They were threatening to spoil because of a high moisture content, so I left them in a barely warm oven overnight to dry them out.
That was the night I saw the recipe, so I thought the dried grapes might find a spot in the clafoutis, and maybe a compote too. Yay… a destination for both plums & grapes made me ecstatic. Didn’t regret it one bit. Have to say they tasted fab in the compote, and I shall be on the lookout for the seasons last sour plums to make some more.
Surprisingly enough, the clarified butter didn’t lend any strange taste / flavour. A handy substitute for people like me! The clafoutis was delicious. Beautiful bite to it, the crumb moist, yet cake like, the almonds imparting a delightful flavour, and the plum-black grape pairing just right. A dollop of whipped cream & some sweet-tangy compote seemed to finish it off in style! We LOVED it. Thank you Helen. You are truly inspirational!! 
Plum & Dried Black Grapes Frangipane Clafoutis
Adapted from Tartlette’s recipe here
Serves 6
For the clafoutis:
3/4 cup vanilla sugar
1 1/2oz clarified butter/ghee, at room temperature (or butter)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, separated
200ml light cream
1/2 cup whole almonds, ground
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
pinch of salt
4 plums, halved and pitted
For the plum/dried fruit compote:
4-5 plums, pitted & chopped
1/2 cup dried black grapes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup mango juice (You can use orange juice. Mango juice was all I had)
For the frangipane clafoutis:
Preheat the oven to 170C. Lightly coat 6 ramekins with cooking spray or a dab of butter and place them on a baking tray. Set aside.
Grind the almonds, with skin, in a coffee grinder, with 1 tbsp of sugar, till fine, Do it in short burst so that it doesn’t end up as paste.
In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, clarified butter, vanilla extract and the egg yolks until the mixture is a smooth paste. Add the cream little by little.
In a separate bowl, stir together the almonds, flour and salt, add this to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until well blended.
In a very clean bowl, whip the egg whites until stiff and gently fold them into the almond mixture.
Divide evenly among your ramekins (make sure to fill them only 3/4 of the way up) and place 1/2 a pitted plum, cut side up, and a few dried grapes on top of the batter. Bake for about 25-30 minutes.
Serve warm with the plum & dried black grape compote and/or a dollop of unsweetend whipped cream.
Prepare the plum & dried black grape compote :
Put all the ingredients in a pan, mix, and simmer for 15-20 minutes till thick and syrupy. Adjust sugar if required. You might need to add some lime juice if your plums are sweet. Mine were SOUR!
♥ Thank you for stopping by ♥
Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
37 Comments
Avanika [YumsiliciousBakes]
You got some great looking grapes! And so many of them! Great idea, of drying them and using them in this! Your clafoutis looks delicious! I remember seeing this on Helen's blog, but her too good to be true pictures are a tad intimidating to me 😛
The Purple Foodie
Looks great, Dee. By clarified butter, you mean ghee, right? Good to know that it blends in with some dishes. I once used ghee when I was out of butter to make chocolate fudge (must have been 10 or 12), BIG mistake! The smell was so overpowering, I felt so silly for having subbed it instead of waiting for butter. Hehhe
Rosa's Yummy Yums
Those clafoutis look fantastic! What a wonderful idea!
Cheers,
Rosa
Happy cook
Deeba just finished the dinner, and gave hubby and daughter to calen up the table and do the dishes 🙂
You mom islike mu FIL he goes every wenesday and saturday to the market and brings back fruits even thought he never buy good ones according to my MIL.
Love that clafoutis buti am in love with the delicous compote.
anna
Ah, I was wondering why those raisins looked particularly juicy and tasty – then I saw that you dried the grapes yourself! Yum!
Anh
Both Helen's blog and yours are inspiring, my friend! This is such a wonderful idea. Note it down!!!
Bellini Valli
With thsi being a year of reminders of Julia Child delicious clafoutis seem to be popping up all over the blogoshere.
GarlicBOSS
Honestly, you need a cooking show. Have you sent any video to food network?
Parita
Clafoutis looks damn good..plum and dried black grapes sounds a nice combination…compote sounds very flavorful and yummy!
Snooky doodle
WOW YOU ALWAYS MAKE THE MOST AMAZING DESSERTS. CLAFOUTIS USUALLY I DON T LIKE IT BUT SURELY LOOKS DELICIOUS!
meeso
I think you could really get your pictures printed out and you could sell them! I would frame them and hang them in my kitchen or dining room… I love all your pictures 🙂
Tartelette
Glad I could inspire you! I have to correct that Bill was smashing the tops of the clafoutis, not the grapes. I would have been really mad at that one!
Barbara Bakes
Another feast for the eyes! I'm sure you family was delighted!
Julia @ Mélanger
I agree. I love Helen's recipes. You've done a great job, as always. I can't believe you make your own butter!?!!
Aparna
Looks gorgeous, Deeba. maybe I can get my family to eat plums if they're in something that looks this good! 🙂
shaz
What beautiful clafoutis! Love the compote too. I'm always inspired after coming away from Tartelette's blog and I'm also always inspired by you Deeba! Keep those beautiful posts coming.
Divya Kudua
Just gorgeous Deeba..I don't fancy Plums but I wouldn't mind that yummy bowl:).
A cupcake or two
You have an amazing blog. The title says it all. Thank you for sharing all your awesome recipes.
Julie (Willow Bird Baking)
They look gorgeous, Deeba! I love the look of halved naked plums — I made some Plum and Cream Mini Tortes the other day and we all loved them so much. I can't WAIT to try these!!
Kelsey B.
This looks gorgeous – I adore plums and am always looking for new inspiration. Brava!
Helene
What a great inspiration. You always find a great way to make beautiful desserts. Great pictures also.
Cynthia
I'm distracted – I am here thinking how great those dried black grape would be soaked in some good dark rum to be used to make many goodies 🙂
the epicurean's market
Oh wow! Looks so fancy — what a treat! ~Mina
Home Cooked Oriya Food
awesome dish… looks so pretty!
Cheddar Cheese
Truly inspirational blogging & the recipe too is indeed quite interesting. Surely wanna try this out.
diva@The Sugar Bar
awww your mum's so sweet 🙂 it's hilarious how u have to get her to stop 😀
anyway gorgeous clafoutis. yum yum xx
Lori
Those plums got a beautiful new life. Bravo.
5 Star Foodie
Clafoutis sounds scrumptious and just excellent with the plum & dried black grapes, what a terrific combination!
Soma
LOL at your mom's fruit shopping, atleast you made something so spectacular with them! your pictures are so great.
Hmmm… black grapes look very interesting. Since I am not a good baker, I am thinking if they could be soaked in liquor & chocolate coated….Mmmmmmm.
Eliana
Deeba – your blog is so inspirational. I always love reading posts like this one.
Gloria
Look wonderful as always my dearest Deeba, nice pictures xoxoxogloria
Faith
Thanks for stopping by my blog and in turn leading me to your gorgeous blog! Your pictures are really beautiful, and this clafouti with compote sounds divine…I love your addition of dried grapes…delicious!
Mary Ann
Absolutely beautiful! I love what you did to these little treats. I get inspired all the time by what I see too. Yum!
Elra
Unbelievably beautiful and very tempting recipe. What a talent Dee!
Gera @ SweetsFoods
Wow Deeba the clafoutis look outstanding. A sweet inspiration that worth to try soon 🙂
Cheers!
Gera
m
Lovely use of what you had – looks and sounds delicious! I sometimes find myself in a similar spot when I get unfamiliar fruit and veg at my farm share!
Nicisme
Looks really good, very inspirational and delicious!