Tuesday, October 22, 2013

DAMSON PLUM FLAUGNARDE (CLAFOUTIS) - FLAUGNARDE AUX QUETSCHES

September days have the warmth of summer in their briefer hours, but in their lengthening evenings a prophetic breath of autumn. The cricket chirps in the noontide, making the most of what remains of his brief life. The bumblebee is busy among the clover blossoms of the aftermath, and their shrill and dreamy hum hold the outdoor world above the voices of the song birds, now silent or departed.
-   September Days b
y Rowland E. Robinson, Vermont.


September's baccalaureate
A combination is of crickets - crows - and retrospects
And a dissembling breeze
That hints without assuming -
An innuendo sear
That makes the heart put up its fun
And turn philosopher.

-   Emily Dickinson, September's Baccalaureate
August ended on a bright, balmy and estival note, but as we were entering September the weather decided to take an abrupt turn when summer silently sneaked out through the back door like some secret lover on a undercover mission. Without much fuss, it shyly bid us farewell and quietly tiptoed away; as if its joyful presence and warm embrace had not mattered to us, it eclipsed itself, never to be seen again.

Autumn, that artfully cheeky little opportunist of a trickster swiftly and discretely replaced our beloved summer and immediately made itself comfortable. Similarly to a fearsome king marking his territory, fall entered the scene dramatically and imperially. Fierce thunderbolts, tempestuous northern winds and torrents of water accompanied his boisterous arrival.
October, baptize me with leaves! Swaddle me in corduroy and nurse me with split pea soup. October, tuck tiny candy bars in my pockets and carve my smile into a thousand pumpkins. O autumn! O teakettle! O grace!
- Rainbow Rowell, Attachments


You expected to be sad in the fall. Part of you died each year when the leaves fell from the trees and their branches were bare against the wind and the cold, wintery light. But you knew there would always be the spring, as you knew the river would flow again after it was frozen. When the cold rains kept on and killed the spring, it was as though a young person died for no reason.
- Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast
Lenk Trip 7 2 bis
The change was so unexpected and radical that it shocked us all. Now that capricious october has fully kicked in and Samhain is nearing, thick fog blankets obscure the sky till noon, the world is filled with chilly warmth (temperatures rarely reach 18°C/64° F in the afternoon), sun rays gracefully bathe the landscapes in a golden glow, light's decline is becoming more palpable every evening, melancholic quietness fills the air, snow returns to the mountains and suddenly, I find myself craving comforting casseroles as well as warm drinks and prefer to sit indoors rather than on my balcony (unless it is for a short coffee break - in order to aerate my head).

Despite being an unconditional admirer of the fiery season, it is with a heavy heart and a lot of nostalgy that I mourn the death of our late radiant and frivolous dandy. We had so much fun in each other's company, however our time together was far too short. Hence it is difficult to accept the fact that, after barely 8 weeks of continuous heat and sunshine, the grim and colder days are once more back and we'll have to wait another long 6 to 7 months before we can frolick in the grass and have a drink on a terrace - sans jacket, sweater or coat - again.
Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest.
- Douglas Jerrold
Anyway, this time of the year is also my favorite as it is that of the harvest and for our biggest pleasure, many sensational fruits and vegetables reappear on the market stalls. It is a period of abundance and plentifulness during which our plates are well-garnished and dishes are colorful (earthly tones of orange, brown, red, purple, yellow and green invite themselves to the dinning table), hearty as well as flavorful.

One of my most cherished perennial produces is unquestionably the Swiss plum. I am totally addicted to this violet fruit and can never get enough of its incomparable exquisiteness and versatility. Unfortunately, the "prunneau" picking period doesn't last very long, so I try my best to make the most out of this delicacy while it is still available. Clafoutis, cakes, foccacie, jams, trifles, compotes, puddings, muffins, crumbles, you name it, from late August to the end of October, there isn't one dessert I'll not make with quetsches!

Sadly for me, plum cropping is slowly coming to an end and the mighty apple will soon take its turn under the spotlight and become the star in my kitchen. So in order to appropriately say goodbye to damsons (my most treasured variety), I have decided to share with you a flaugnarde (also known as flagnarde, flognarde or flougnarde) recipe inspired by the talented Jamie Schler at "Life's A Feast".

I am a big fan of this lady's fabulous bakes and delightful prose, and whenever I visit her blog a strike of creativity hits me. This generally leads me to getting into a productive state and artistic frenzy. Thus, after admiring her incredibly enticing "Flognarde (Clafoutis) Aux Pommes", ideas started to flood my brain and I felt the urge to create my own funky version of this French classic (Jamie's interpretation of it is original too).

Commonly, this speciality always contains plain flour only and apart from vanilla, another flavor is rarely added to the preparation. Anyhow, I'm a transgresser of rules who doesn't enjoy culinary rigidity or lack of imagination and it is for that very reason that I took the liberty of adding coconut flour, orange rind puree and Grand-Marnier to the batter.

My "Damson Plum Flaugnarde" turned out wonderfully and since then, I have baked it at least once a week (it is our official movie night treat). Hopefully you'll adore it as much as we do...

Damson Plum Flaugnarde
Recipe by Rosa Mayland.


Makes 1 flaugnarde - serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups (360ml) of Milk
3 Big (~63g) Eggs
1/4 Cup + 1 Tbs (73g) Light brown sugar
1/4 Cup Castor Sugar (53g + some extra sugar for sprinkling)
1/2 Cup (64g) All-purpose flour
2 Tbs (30g) Coconut flour
1 Tsp Pure vanilla extract
1/3 Tsp Orange rind puree
2 Tbs Orange liquor (Cointreau or Grand-Marnier)
2 Tbs Oil (neutral)
8-10 Damson plums, stoned and halfed
Icing sugar, to decorate

 Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200° C (400° F).
2. Over medium heat, bring the milk to a light simmer, then set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugars until pale in color and foamy.
4. Add the flours, vanilla extract, orange rind puree, liquor and oil. Whisk until smooth.
5. Gradually whisk in the warm milk.
6. Pour the mixture into a buttered round 8-9" (20-22cm) pie dish.
7. Drop the plums into the batter and sprinkle with a little extra sugar.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the flaugnarde is puffed and golden.
9. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.

Remarks:
The coconut flour can be replaced with the same amount of all-pupose flour and the brown sugar with the same quantity of castor sugar.
If you don't like orange rind or liquor, then you can use lemon zest and Limoncello instead.

Serving suggestions:
Eat warm or at room temperature and serve alone or with a scoop of ice cream (vanilla, pecan, walnut, caramel, etc...).

Flaugnarde Aux Quetsches
Recette par Rosa Mayland.


Pour 1 flaugnarde, 4-6 personnes.
 

Ingrédients:
360ml de Lait
3 Gros (~63g) Oeufs

73g de Sucre de canne fin
53g de Sucre fin cristallisé (+ un peu de sucre supplémentaire pour saupoudrer)

64g de Farine blanche
30g de Farine de noix de coco
1 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
1/3 CC de Zeste d'orange en purée
2 CS de Liqueur d'orange (Cointreau ou Grand-Marnier)
2 CS d'Huile (neutre)
8-10 Quetsches/prunes, dénoyautées et coupées en deux

Sucre glace, pour décorer

Méthode:
1. Préchauffer le four à 200 ° C.
2. À feu moyen, porter le lait à frémissement léger, puis le mettre de côté.
3. Dans un bol, fouetter ensemble les oeufs et les sucres, jusqu'à ce que le mélange soit pâle et mousseux.
4. Ajoutez les farines, l'extrait de vanille, le zeste d'orange, la liqueur et l'huile. Fouetter afin d'obtenir un consistance lisse et homogène.
5. Incorporer graduellement le lait chaud, tout en continuant de bien fouetter l'appareil.
6. Verser le mélange dans un moule à pie beurré (20-22cm).
7. Déposez les quetsches/prunes dans la pâte et saupoudrez le dessus de la flaugnarde avec un peu de sucre.
8. Cuire au four pendant 35-40 minutes, jusqu'à ce que la flaugnarde soit gonflée et dorée.
9. Saupoudrer de sucre glace et servir.

Remarques:

La farine de noix de coco peut être remplacée par de la farine blanche et la cassonade par du sucre fin cristallisé.
Si vous n'aimez pas le zeste ou la liqueur d'orange, alors vous pouvez utiliser du zeste de citron et du Limoncello à la place.

Suggestion de présentation: 

Cette flaugnarde peut être mangée chaude ou à température ambiante et servie sans accompagnement ou avec une boule de glace (vanille, noix de pécan, noix, caramel, etc...).

90 comments:

  1. Beautiful clafoutis, I adore the vivid color of the plums!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wonderful Rosa, that you are back with a recipe and gorgeous food-pics! I love clafoutis and your recipe sounds really good.
    Hugs, Sandy

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am in love with this post - beautiful pictures plus a divine recipe with all the ingredients that I love...Pinning this recipe..Loved it!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gorgeous shots and beautiful clafoutis.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful as usual, really love the plate that you've used. The clafoutis looks amazing, the color is so beautiful.
    Hope you are doing well my lady. Take care.

    ReplyDelete
  6. une suuuublime recette accompagnée de magnifique photos !

    ReplyDelete
  7. Je n'ai jamais vu un clafoutis présenté de façon aussi poétique! C'est fabuleux!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love flaugnardes — maybe the best fruit dessert ever. Yours is just gorgeous. Great recipe, wonderful pictures. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  9. J'ai l'eau à la bouche and all the verses and poetry have charmed me as well!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Les quetsches font parties de mes prunes préférées aussi, leur goût est si bon et doux.
    Cela me manque, je n'en trouve pas en Angleterre mais il y a toujours les prunes anglaises.

    Bonne soirée ~

    ReplyDelete
  11. Oh does that look good! I love the dark moody atmosphere too.
    xoxo
    E

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a heavenly autumn treat! The custard looks so smooth. The orange and plum flavors sound fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I too love plums! The clafoutis looks so inviting!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Breath taking impressive photos! Oh wow!

    ReplyDelete
  15. My dear dear Rosa, such a beautiful and dramatic photography. My heart with you in you sad moments.

    Hugs,

    Yelena

    ReplyDelete
  16. I've enjoyed this post so much Rosa! Words, poetry, photos and recipe are profound, attractive and good for the soul and body :-) Elvira

    ReplyDelete
  17. I've never made clafoutis. This looks so lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Un de mes fruits préférés en automne. La quetsche cuites, un délice réconfortant.
    Bonne semaine.

    ReplyDelete
  19. oh qu'elle est belle! Et ton billet d'adieu à l'été, de bienvenue aux temps d’automne aussi. Magnifique!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Absolutely beautiful pictures of clafoutis..and forest... I love autumn

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love clafoutis or flognarde. This one, with plums, made me realise that this year I din't have many plums. Shame on me cos I really love them. That slice is just perfect. Will you send it to me? :p

    ReplyDelete
  22. Great reading and fabulous dessert. I actually always wanted to make a clafoutis... I feel very much inspired now!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Fabulous bakes and delightful photo!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Clafoutis are one of my favorites, but I don't think I've ever seen one this beautiful. Wow. And they are good cold for breakfast :)
    Sam

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thanks for the BEAUTIFUL post, sweetheart. Those hypnotic pictures of that inviting plum-dessert made my day. Lovely, fragrant, easy recipe would make any night a date night :)
    Love and hugs.

    ReplyDelete
  26. What a lovely clafoutis! I adore plums!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Une ode à l'automne !!! quel autre fruit s'y prêterait mieux pour représenter la fuite de l'été et l'arrivée de l'automne ? je ne vois que la quetsche ... une superbe idée que cette version personnalisée ! noix de coco, grand Marnier, orange ... et ces magnifiques photos qui viennent couronner le tout !!!
    Je suis sous le charme !
    Sandy

    ReplyDelete
  28. Slowly I feel the embrace of Autumn, Rosa. I have been holding on to Summer's glow but relinquish. Your Autumn dessert is magnificent. A welcome to relish.

    ReplyDelete
  29. A lovely fall dessert...make mine with dollop of whipped cream.

    ReplyDelete
  30. wow!! awesome clicks !! I love clafoutis..

    ReplyDelete
  31. Your work is just stunning, Rosa---what a wonderful sense of color you have!

    ReplyDelete
  32. G'day and gorgeous recipe and photo too!
    Your photos are always so expressive to me, true!
    Cheers! Joanne

    ReplyDelete
  33. Rosa as always awesome photography and a delicious recipe. I love plum too and hope to make this soon :)

    ReplyDelete
  34. Beautiful captures and the plums are gorgeous! Love the spoons, too!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Oh my God,what an excellent post! Love your pics and would love to try this delicious clafoutis!
    Kisses!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Oooo wow Rosa. That looks insanely beautiful! Love all the shots!

    ReplyDelete
  37. Lovely post Rosa. The pictures are beautiful as always and I am so tempted by your plum clafoutis. I am pinning it so I can try it out when plums are in season here.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Ahhh!!! breathtaking photography and the plum poem is so cute :) I know how you cook and this one will of course taste brilliant as you. lucky P

    ReplyDelete
  39. what a smacking delicious sweet bites!
    i love that u using the fresh plums, made me not feeling guilty reading this post.....

    ReplyDelete
  40. This is such a lovely post. I am reading it in the morning and that sunlight behind the trees is like the light coming through my door at the moment. Beautiful post as always Rosa.

    ReplyDelete
  41. OMG the colour of that clafoutis....!!! I love plums too - and that photo of them with the sheen on their skins is just magnificent. Also in love with the quote from Ernest Hemingway, who writes in a way that I wish I could.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Rosa you have found the season of autumn in your stunning photos and scrumptious Damson Plum Clafoutis, just hypnotic!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hi Rosa, excellent photography skill. The plum clafoutis look really delightful.

    Have a nice day.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Clafoutis is in my to do list for a long time... Looks spot on...

    ReplyDelete
  45. Beautiful clicks... I 'm always smitten by your photography rosa ..you rock :)

    ReplyDelete
  46. this looks fab love these my Grandma used to make jam with them

    ReplyDelete
  47. What a wonderful post! This clafoutis looks absolutely amazing and the colors are so rich and simply stunning. Just lovely :)

    ReplyDelete
  48. The layers of custard in this clafoutis makes it so so divine. Pinned :)

    ReplyDelete
  49. That clafoutis looks delish! Your photos bring everything to life!

    ReplyDelete
  50. A lovely dish, Rosa! It conjures up such beautiful emotion too.

    ReplyDelete
  51. This is simply beautiful and delicious

    ReplyDelete
  52. Looks like perfection, Rosa. It's one of my favorite dessert treats and such fun to make with whatever fruit is in season. Beautiful photos!

    ReplyDelete
  53. Rosa, the plum clafoutis looks absolutely gorgeous! I love plums and this is a great way to use them. It also makes a perfect Fall treat, so I am pinning this into my Fall Harvest collection. :)

    ReplyDelete
  54. this is SO lovely! i adore plums but have never seen them splayed out quite like this. great recipe, rosa. :)

    ReplyDelete
  55. Your plum dessert looks wonderful. We are in Austria at the present time and I'm enjoying plums in so many ways...can't wait to try your recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Wow Rosa, amazing light and wonderful colors in these incredible photos.
    Love the recipe, plums are my favorite.
    kisses

    ReplyDelete
  57. What a lovely treat! The plums look delicious baked into the custard.

    ReplyDelete
  58. Beautiful photos as always. I need a good camera like yours! These look utterly mouth watering and delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  59. I love damson plums and your clafoutis sound like something I would devour.

    ReplyDelete
  60. sadly I did not eat enough plums this summer
    you know I'm sad to see summer go, I hate winter so much; it's the darkness that gets me.
    I have 2 or 3 crickets still tweeting away at night, albeit slowly, but they are still there, I think they are trying to hold on to summer too!

    ReplyDelete
  61. Excellent photos, astonishing color, wonderful light!

    ReplyDelete
  62. Magnifique "flaugnarde" ça a l'air très gourmand avec cette grenat très gourmande :)

    ReplyDelete
  63. Cold came here early too! But it is so hot here that it feels pleasant now! I love love love your photos Rosa. Sorry I could not come for long. Missed your posts. And what a gorgeous dessert.

    ReplyDelete
  64. What a beautiful Hommage to autumn in pictures and words!
    The plum-cake looks delightful, a perfect fall dessert.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Such a beautiful treat & the fall views are splendid. My favorite time of year!

    ReplyDelete
  66. Superbe ! Il met l'eau à la bouche ce clafoutis.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Wow - love how you captured the gorgeous red color!

    ReplyDelete
  68. Jamie is a wonderful inspiration isn't she! I love her writing :) And the photographs here are gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  69. Stunning autumnal colours and flavours in this recipe... beautiful pictures as always!

    ReplyDelete
  70. Aussi beau que bon j'imagine ...
    Bises

    ReplyDelete
  71. this is epitome of fall. lovely setup there dear:)

    ReplyDelete
  72. Wow! What a beautiful tart. I love plums in them, too, because they bake up so jammy. With a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, I'd be in heaven.

    ReplyDelete
  73. This is such a gorgeous plum clafoutis, Rosa!!! I really love the texture of clafoutis, and plum sounds wonderful to bake together. Photography is stunning, and now I really wish to have a piece!

    ReplyDelete
  74. Merci pour ta visite sur notre blog et j'ai finalement succombé aux charmes de ta recette (et de tes idées de mise en scène :))
    http://www.cuisinetcigares.com/article-flognarde-aux-dernieres-quetsches-de-la-saison-120836571.html
    Bises et belle soirée
    Sandy

    ReplyDelete
  75. This is such a beautiful post with pictures that I can't stop to look at.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Elle a l'air délicieuse ta flognarde avec ces belles prunes!

    ReplyDelete
  77. Such a beautiful post Rosa, you have captured autumn in a stunning way. Absolutely delicious plum recipe too. There are still lots to be found here in Greece, so will be giving this a try very soon!!

    ReplyDelete
  78. Comment ai-je pu rater cette belle recette et ces photos alléchantes? C'est parfait, comme d'habitude! Bises...

    ReplyDelete
  79. Such beautiful pictures! I always feel like I never enjoy plums enough when they're in season ... lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  80. Qu'elle est belle Rosa. Je garde ta recette sous le coude.

    ReplyDelete
  81. That is just my kind of dessert, I love a good clafoutis.

    ReplyDelete
  82. Mmmmm, I haven't made clafoutis in FOREVER! Now I must.

    ReplyDelete
  83. I wouldn't have thought to make clafoutis with plums. Such a good idea, it looks perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  84. Oups ! ça à l'air tellement bon !
    @+++

    ReplyDelete
  85. waouhhhh et dire que j'ai raté ça moi qui aime les quetsches ça doit être très bon aussi avec des prunes plus sucré qu'acidulé peut-être. En fait c'est un clafoutis et tes photos me font vraiment saliver. Merci Rosa je te souhaite de passer un excellent week-end !! Bisous ;)

    ReplyDelete