Mini Berry Clafoutis Muffins

What, you’ve never heard of clafoutis (pronounced kla-foo-TEE)? If only you grew up in France where many a household have their own family recipe for the delicious breakfast and/or dessert. Clafoutis is a custard-like baked French dessert or breakfast that is typically made by baking fresh fruit, (traditionally cherries,) and a sweet batter similar to a crepe or German pancake batter. It is so delicious that I could eat it every day. In fact, I made it twice yesterday and had to forgo eating lunch to make up for all the delicious clafoutis that I ate. As I am writing this I am wondering why I haven’t made any today?! I’ll be right back…

Really, you have to try this, it is so easy and delicious you’ll wonder why you have never had it before. (Curse me and my typical American upbringing of processed boxed foods!) I mean, all we ever had in my house for breakfast growing up was boxed cereal, and not even the sweet sugar kind either. I can’t believe that this passes as a breakfast. I guess it does contain fresh fruit, eggs and milk so it can’t be too bad right? My problem is that I eat the whole thing, I can’t stop at one bite or a few little muffins.

I tried several recipes and I really liked the one that my food blog idol Helen had on her blog. I made a few changes, and baked them in a mini muffin tin for an easy finger food and voilà, they are delicious. I know that the typical clafoutis recipe doesn’t contain cream cheese, but I just love cream cheese and berries so I had to throw some in there. Although I call these muffins, don’t be expecting what you and I would call a muffin, clafoutis has a custard like texture that is creamy and soft but it sets up enough when cool that you can remove them from the muffin tins and they hold their shape. This recipe can also be doubled and baked in several individual gratin dishes or one 8 or 9 inch round pan.

Mini Berry Clafoutis Muffins

1 cup diced fruit, I used a mixture of strawberries and raspberries

1 ½ oz. flour, about 1/3 cup plus 2 tsp.

½ oz cornstarch, about 2 Tbs.

1 oz. brown sugar, about 3 Tbs. packed

1 oz. granulated sugar, about 2 heaping Tbs.

¾ cup milk

1 egg

½ oz. butter melted (1 TBS.)

1 oz cream cheese softened

1 tsp. vanilla

Coconut for the top, I use unsweetened

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a mini muffin pan and divide the fruit between 20-21 of the spaces.

2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch and sugars. Set aside.

3. In a blender, mix together the milk, egg, butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Blend for a few seconds until well mixed. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined and no lumps remain. Do not mix too long.

4. Pour the mixture over the berries and top with the shredded coconut. Bake for about 24 minutes or until puffed and set. The clafoutis will puff up in the oven but will sink back down once cooled.

5. Let them cool in the pan to firm up and make removal easier. They are delicious hot, at room temperature and even cold right out of the fridge. If you remove them too soon form the pans they will fall apart but will still taste delicious. (I always eat a few while they are still piping hot because they are so good and I am so impatient!)

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