Chocolate Raspberry Clafoutis

This past weekend I was at my parent’s house in Peabody, MA and I was in the area of my favorite local farm, Brooksby Farm, so I had to stop there. It is raspberry and blueberry picking season now and for some reason I decided to pick some raspberries. I'm pretty sure I made the right choice.

Ingredients & Directions:

12 ounces fresh raspberries (2 3/4 cups)

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 cup whole milk

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

3 large eggs

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 to 3 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used chocolate chips semi-chopped)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in middle. Butter (I used cooking spray) shallow baking dish. Toss berries with granulated sugar and let stand 15 minutes. Blend milk, butter, eggs, brown sugar, flour, cocoa, and salt in a blender until smooth. Scatter berries (drained) evenly in baking dish, then pour batter over top. Bake until slightly puffed and firm to the touch, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with chopped chocolate. Cool to warm, about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I like to prepare all liquid ingredients in advance to save time when actually baking.

I brought the raspberries home and had no idea what to do with them. I then remembered reading on the how2heroes blog that they were having a Julie & Julia contest. I didn’t get this done in time to enter, but did it anyway. I have been obsessed with Julie & Julia since I read the book a little while ago. I have always loved Julia Child, but have been afraid to try much French cooking, with the exception of crème brulee; I am a crème brulee master!

I remember reading about some of the desserts Julie Powell made and she said the clafoutis was easy and delicious. I looked up a recipe at one of my fave sites, epicurious, and found a recipe for chocolate raspberry clafoutis. Perfect! At least I thought so. I had a few problems with the recipe and if I try it again I will need to try a few things differently, mostly making sure the raspberries are completely dry. The sides rose faster than any other part of the clafoutis and in turn browned faster than any other part. Overall, it was a decent attempt at French cooking, but I think Julia Child would be embarrassed for me. Just wait until you see my crème brulee though!