Coconut, Hazelnut, & Fig Clafoutis
While I love the occasional pleasure of a perfectly prepared dessert, it’s rare that I indulge in making sweet things at home. My penchant for sugar has plummeted since my teenage years, and whenever I do decide to embark on the decadent journey of dessert making I more often than not find myself with a half rotten cake in the back of my fridge some 2 weeks later. Only when a dessert’s sweetness teeters on the edge of savory – blurring the lines between an after dinner treat and an acceptable breakfast dish – do I find the task enticing.
Enter this coconut, hazelnut & fig clafoutis: a barely sweet, nutty and custardy treat, equally delicious served hot out of the oven with a dollop of whipped cream as it is eaten cold first thing in the morning. My friend Marjory Sweet, a beautiful farmer and cook (and my most trusted source for impromptu produce advice), once told me that figs are the one fruit not worth squirreling away; ‘one must indulge, and then it’s over!’.
This clafoutis is an homage to the ephemeral and ambrosial nature of just ripe summer figs. There is one firm rule to this recipe: please be generous with the fruit, only when the bottom of your baking dish is entirely covered with figs is it appropriate to pour over the batter.
Ingredients
Enough ripe figs to generously cover the bottom of a 9 inch baking pan (approximately 1 heaping pint)
¾ cup fine hazelnut flour
¾ cup + 1 tsp maple sugar (coconut sugar is also great, but lends to a more robust and caramelized flavor)
3 large eggs
2 tbs. pastry flour* (or 2 tbs. rice flour for a gluten free recipe)
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon
1 pinch sea salt
Olive oil to grease the tart pan
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease your baking pan liberally in olive oil.
2. Slice figs into quarters and assemble on baking pan.
3. Combine hazelnut flour, maple sugar, eggs, pastry flour, coconut milk, vanilla, lemon zest, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until smooth.
4. Pour batter over figs. Sprinkle the top with reserved teaspoon of maple sugar.
5. Bake for 35-45 minutes, rotating the baking dish halfway through. It’s done when the batter is just set and the top is golden brown. Let cool for at least 20 minutes, then enjoy with gently sweetened whipped cream or thick and tangy sheep’s milk yogurt.
About the Author
Vilda Gonzalez is the Food Editor at The Thirlby, an avid home cook, and studying to become a holistic nutritionist. She is the founder and chef of Sol-Eir, an ongoing series of alchemized food and beverage experiences. Her mission is to rewire our collective relationship to what eating well truly means; with the highest regard of respect for our body, our community, and our earth. She believes that food should be delicious, flavorful, and indulgent, but it should also be deeply nourishing, regenerative, and inherently healthful. Vilda also works with individuals to strengthen their personal relationships with food through means of intuitive cooking and connection.
