“Pear-Blueberry Clafoutis Southern-Style”

~ Teresa Blackburn
pear

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I am quite smitten with my pears this summer. I have spent some time gazing at them and even more time posing them, turning them this way and that, looking at how they catch the light at different hours of the day.  They are very willing models…silent, accommodating and seductively gorgeous.

This is not Food on Fifth’s first “pear rodeo” so to speak. In years past I have posted “A Series of Coincidences Involving Pears”,  “Pear Infused Vodka” and “A Seasonal and Southern Red Bartlett Pear-Almond Cake”. Soon a pear jam will appear on these pages…not today, but soon.

A Clafoutis (lovely to say aloud softly and be sure to keep the “s”),  and very French…a perfect pairing with my Southern twist…cornbread mix from “Southern City Flavors”, which you can buy at Whole Foods Markets or online,  and blueberries….a very oooh la la morning moment.

pear clafouti

This recipe is my adaptation of the classic French clafoutis which is pretty hard to trump. I was working on a photo shoot with Mike Weeks, proprietor of “Southern City Flavors” recently and he gave me a couple of bags of his cornmeal mix. Familiar with this product via Batch Nashville, I knew it would be a good fit with my Southern-style clafoutis.

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Quick and so easy, a warm, just out of the oven clafoutis with local berries & pears, light and custardy, just a hint of cornmeal crunch….powdered sugar or not…is what Sunday’s are made for. Oui? Oui!

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Sans a dusting of powdered sugar……..with a dusting of powdered sugar.

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Pear-Blueberry Clafoutis, Southern-Style

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Print

clafoutis

Ingredients:

  • 6 small ripe, but firm pears, halved & cores removed
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 TBSP softened butter
  • 1 1/4 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup raw sugar, divided
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 generous TBSP vanilla extract
  • a pinch of salt
  • 3/4 cup white cornbread mix
  • powdered sugar if desired

Directions for Cooking:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Butter an 8 to 10 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the buttered dish with 2 TBSP of the raw sugar. Arrange halved & cored pears cut side down in the bottom of the dish. Scatter the blueberries over the pears. Set aside.
  3. In a blender or with a hand mixer, blend the milk, remaining sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, salt & cornbread mix together.
  4. Pour batter over the pears & blueberries gently tapping the dish on the kitchen counter to get out any air bubbles.
  5. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until puffy and golden brown on top.
  6. Serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar if desired.

32 thoughts on ““Pear-Blueberry Clafoutis Southern-Style””

    1. One day I post some photos of my garden…which is very small. I have one pear tree that had 100’s of pears this year…usually not that many. My vegetable garden is 10 ft x 10ft only. I have one patio apple tree with 1 apple on it!! My lemon tree died over the winter. I have lots of mint and other herbs.

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  2. What a great idea to use cornbread mix, my husband loves cornbread so I might make it for him. I’m waiting for your pear jam post because I have a friend with a pear tree.

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  4. Gorgeous looking pears and recipe – I feel like doing a painting just looking at your photos! Great arrangements for a still life 🙂

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    1. Trini thanks so much. I do have a friend who does paintings from my fruit and vegetable photos. I upload them to his site and he picks and chooses. One day I will post some of these images.

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  5. I have a confession to make. I have never liked clafoutis and have never understood the hype – it just tastes like a sweet omelette to me. But this; with the addition of a cornbread mix sounds divine! Less custardy with a bit of body!! And your photos…gorgeous!!

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    1. Selma I am laughing as I read your comment. You are so right about the hype. I also agree that it is rather omelette-like just a bit more fluffy and sweet with fruit. I have never looked up the word to see what the English equivalent would be…The cornmeal mix did change the consistency…less eggy…more body. Thanks for always leaving thought provoking comments my blogging friend.

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  6. I am wondering where, oh where, is my little bit of clafoutis?! One of my first resonant food memories is a cherry one you made when I was a child, it seemed oh, so sophisticated and “Frenchie”. I loved that one with it’s earth mother, whole wheat crust, (no white flour for your your kiddos, no!) and I am sure I would love this one, but alas, I have no little clafoutis!
    Pictures are beautiful and the recipe inspired, c’est manifique’!!

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    1. Perhaps it is time to bring out the cherries and make one like you are remembering…but with regular flour for my peeps! I am so happy you remembered the one from the past mon cherie.

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  7. We’ve gotten so much great fruit this summer and I’m not looking forward to the end! I’m such a dessert hound, and this one seems great for highlighting all the great fruit and satisfying a sweet tooth.

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    1. I too am feeling a bit sad about the season’s end…all the berries, peaches, melons and pears…but the anticipation of next year’s crop is a sweet thought. Thanks much.

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    1. They come from my one pear tree that we almost tossed as we thought it was dead. Lovely Wouter saved it and planted it outside our back fence where it thrives. So this year the pears were plentiful and just beautiful. Thanks very much for stopping by.

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  12. Will I think I might have to disagree with Ralph about the 10 seconds when a pear is perfect to eat. One thing I do agree with is you southern style clafoutis…it sounds great. 🙂

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    1. Thank you Karen….I am also not sure about the 10 second, but I do know if I had not picked my pears the day that I did, then they would have been pretty much past their prime…Happy September to you.

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  13. maybe just 10 perfect seconds in its eating life–but so many in its artistic life. the pear’s shape and colors beckon much contemplation. I do love clafoutis when light and custardy—but I’ve had some dense ones along the way. your cornbread style looks just ever so.

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    1. Using the cornmeal mix was a kitchen experiment that turned out ever so well. And the artistic life of a pear can be a long one…I have some pears from last year that I left out to dry and now they look like incredibly leathery pears with darkened leaves…but beautiful in their transformation.

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