Blueberry, Cumquat, Oatmeal Clafoutis "St. Etienne"
I always thought the name "Clafoutis" sounded a little weird and a little too "chic" to describe what it actually is- namely and overblown pancake batter poured into a baking dish and baked rather than fried. Back when I live in England, 24 or 25 years ago (Lord I am OLD!), ever other dessert that you saw on the TV cook shows was a clafoutis. Basically because it sounded sophisticated to a TV audience and was really easy to make...
Well being as I can not bake, as we all know, I decided to make one of my own this morning... but yes- with a twist. Of course. I decided to add some oatmeal into the mix rather than flour, to give it a bit more body and a little more to bite into... and furthermore- I decided to "risk" sweetening it with Stevia rather than sugar or honey... hence the name I gave this little recipe- Ettienne being the French equivalent of Steven. And yes, I think that St Steven must have been smiling down upon me this morning- because it turned out really nice! And I made it like this...
I started off by beating 2 eggs until they were nice and fluffy. I then added 1 cupful of oatmeal and half a teaspoon of Stevia. Remember it is MUCH sweeter than sugar! But obviously it is a matter of taste- so at this point I will have to say "trial and error time", as I personally do not like my desserts too sweet... but you might. I added a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of cinnamon, a hint of vanilla and a little squeeze of orange juice. At this point, I also added a teaspoon of baking powder, then whisked it together again and then let it sit whilst I prepared the fruits.
I cut the cumquat's into slices and removed the pips- the berries went in as they were. That was the next step- to add them to the batter as well as about a tablespoon of melted butter- just a drizzle. I stirred it all together gently and then spooned the mix into my oven proof dish. Despite having boycotted the sugar in favor of Stevia, I DID sprinkle the clafoutis with a little sugar before bidding it farewell for 40 minutes in the oven- just to give it a light caramel crunchy topping. 180°c or a moderate heat and a final minute or two should do the trick!
The result was a fluffy yet chewy oatmeal dessert, with tangy fruit and a mild, natural sweetness. I can see me relying on St. Steven to bless my baking endeavors again in the future- he took good care of me today!
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