Fresh Peach Clafouti

 

I know it looks like scrambled eggs, but I swear it's not! A clafouti tastes like a cross between a crepe and a custard, which makes it a perfect dish for breakfast or dessert. The recipe I based this on asked for fresh cherries, but all I had were peaches, so I think any fruit will do just fine. Baking this was easy, quick and very tasty!

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups fresh cut peaches
2 Tbl powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 375'F. Whisk together sugar, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Whisk in milk and vanilla, just until incorporated.

Arrange peaches evenly in the bottom of a buttered 9-inch pie plate/dish or 6 ramekin dishes. Pour batter over peaches and bake for about 45 minutes until clafouti is puffed and browned (If using ramekins, bake for 20 minutes, if it's not puffed up and browned keep baking till they are).

Chocolate Creme Brulee

 

Aha! Cream Brulee is a must when you have lots of eggs to spare. Plus, Creme Brulee is my specialty. I got my torch, ramekins and cookbook on my 11th Christmas. So I've had a lot of time to practice!
 This recipe is great! Very rich and creamy, perfect for a chocolate lover.

Chocolate Creme Brulee
(makes six 4oz. ramekins) 

2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 eggs yolks
4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar, plus 3 tbl for torching
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Add cream and chopped chocolate in a double boiler. Stir to combine until all the chocolate is melted in with the cream. Remove bowl from heat to cool a bit. While cooling, get another bowl and whisk together egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, salt and cinnamon until creamy. Add the chocolate mixture to the eggs slowly while whisking. Go slow and whisk well so the eggs don't curdle. Place the ramekins in a water bath. Fill the ramekins with the mixture and bake for 35-40 minutes or until firm.
Let the brulee cool and take out of the water bath. Place in the fridge for 4 hours up to 2 days. When cold sprinkle a layer of sugar and torch it until caramelized.

*If you have any heavy cream left over, make whipped cream for topping!

Farm Fresh

 

 I love my parents house in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. Local farms and orchards always make for a fresh and tasty treat! Aren't the eggs are so pretty with their different colors and sizes?! Now what to make with these beauties...