Easy French Frittata

This omelette is inspired by the best breakfast I ever had, which was at a little French cafe in Montreal two summers ago.  Ben and I drove up there and stayed for about a week, and this meal has been stuck in my head ever since.  The whole trip was pretty great (it was our first vacation together), but this omelette was a definite highlight, and I've been trying to recreate it ever since.  I'm really mad at myself because I can't remember the name of the cafe--I didn't have a blog back then, so there wasn't an easy place to store my restaurant ramblings.  If it comes to me, I'll be sure to update this post with a link.

Here's a picture of our breakfasts that day: my omelette had Brie and spinach, and Ben's had duck confit and gruyere.  Both were deliciously creamy, with eggs cooked to perfection and thick slices of cheese that were barely melted in the middle.  They were amazing.  The sides of hash browns, buttery baguette, and breakfast beans were also ridiculously tasty.

Cherry Clafoutis (Gluten-free, Grain-free)

I really missed baking during my Whole30.  As soon as my 30 days were up, I wanted to bake something with dairy (the first food I'm reintroducing) that was still gluten-free and on the lighter side.  I've found that it's much easier to make gluten-free versions of baked goods that call for a relatively small amount of flour as compared to the other ingredients.  So when I came across this classic cherry clafoutis from Saveur, which only calls for 3/4 cup flour, plus 6 eggs and over a cup of milk, I figured it would be a good candidate.  Guess what?  I was right.

Triple Berry Almond Clafoutis

Berries and almonds go together well (see evidence here, here, and here).  So when I saw a clafoutis recipe that called for almond extract, I figured it would be even better with actual almonds, too.  And while I haven't tried this recipe without almonds, I'm pretty sure I'm right.

Wait!  Did I forget to tell you what a clafoutis is?  When Ben woke up this morning and I told him what I was making, he made some really good joke about doing Krav Maga in footie pajamas.  I think he thought I said krav footie?  Anyway, a clafoutis is a French cake that's basically pancake batter poured over fruit (traditionally cherries) and baked.  I guess it's a dessert, but I made it for breakfast.  With lots of eggs and fruit and just a little flour, sugar, and butter, I think it's totally healthy enough to be the first thing you eat in the morning.

Oh, and it's delicious!  It's almost like a custard, bursting with berries, and with a sweet almond crunch on top.  Bonus--it's really easy to make.  Without much trouble at all you can impress all your friends with your sweet culinary skills and knowledge of obscure dessert vocabulary in French.  Win-win-win (there was a third winning point in there somewhere, right?).

Ingredients (makes 8 servings; adapted from Bon Appetit and King Arthur):

3 cups mixed berries (I used frozen blueberries and fresh raspberries & blackberries)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar, divided
1/2 vanilla bean
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Powdered sugar and whipped cream*, for serving

Preheat the oven to 350.  Lightly butter a 9 inch round cake pan and put the berries in it.  If your cake pan is 2 inches deep, that's perfect.  If it's 1 1/2 inches deep like mine, put it on a baking sheet just in case.  I didn't have any overflow but it was close!  This thing puffs up a lot.

Melt the butter and set aside to cool.  Place the 1/2 cup of sugar in a medium bowl, and scrape in the vanilla bean seeds.  Use your fingers to rub them together to evenly distribute the vanilla--this will make sure you don't end up with a few huge chunks of vanilla bean seeds.  Add the eggs, salt, almond extract, milk, and butter and whisk to combine.  Add the flour gradually, whisking until most of the lumps are gone.  Pour the batter over the fruit.  Top with the sliced almonds and then the two teaspoons of sugar.

Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, until the custard is set and the top is golden brown.  Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edge to loosen the clafoutis.  Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature, with powdered sugar and whipped cream if desired.

Refrigerate any leftovers you don't plan to eat within a few hours.  While clafoutis will keep in the fridge for two or three days, it's best on the day it's made.

*My new favorite way to whip cream is in a mason jar!  Put about 2/3 cup of heavy cream, a tablespoon of powdered sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla in a jar.  Screw the lid on tightly and shake til it's ready (3-5 minutes).

Fruit & Frangipane Galettes with Raspberry Swirl Ice Cream

Happy Fourth!  I'm sitting on my couch, listening to all the illegal fireworks popping down on my street, feeling full and happy.  

My mom and my good friend Annetta came over today.  Ben grilled hamburgers, Annetta brought pasta salad, my mom brought brie, and I made red, white, and bleu macaroni and cheese.  The best part was that Annetta came early and helped me make these galettes.  We had so much fun!  Galettes are like pies but easier since you don't have to fit the dough into a pan or trim it or anything.  I actually think they're prettier, too!  These galettes have a layer of delicious frangipane inside, and you can make them with pretty much any kind of fruit.

I made the galette dough and the frangipane last night, so it was easy to roll out the dough and assemble the galettes this afternoon.  It's great to be able to prep the components in advance and then throw it all together right before dinner.

Galettes need ice cream on top, at least in the summer.  I was going to just make vanilla bean ice cream, but then I saw the extra raspberry coulis that I made to go with my panna cotta sitting in the fridge.  That stuff was begging to be swirled into the ice cream!  In the end, I think it was the best ice cream I've ever made.  You have to try it!  There wasn't even quite enough raspberry coulis left for my tastes--next time I'm going to put in more.

The galette recipe is adapted from Alexandra Cooks and the ice cream is adapted from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop via Annie's Eats.

Ingredients for the galettes (serves about 8):

Dough (recipe below)
Frangipane (recipe below)
4 small or 2 large stone fruits or 2 cups of berries, or a combination
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 teaspoons sugar

For the galette dough (makes two 9-inch galettes):

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, cold
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons ice water, plus extra if necessary

To make the dough, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until well mixed.  Cut the butter into chunks and add them to the bowl of the food processor.  Process using short pulses until the butter is the size of peas.  Add the ice water and stir with a fork until the dough comes together into a mass, adding more ice water a little at a time if necessary.  Divide the dough into two even balls, flatten slightly, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to use (dough can be made up to a week ahead).

For the frangipane (makes about a cup; you'll have extra):

1 cup ground almonds (almond flour) and/or pecans (I used a mix of almond flour and pecans I ground in the food processor)
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon rum, brandy, or bourbon (optional)

Pulse all ingredients in the food processor (bonus: you don't have to wash it out if you just made the dough in it) until smooth.  Store in the refrigerator for up to one week until ready to use.

To assemble the galettes, preheat the oven to 400.   Roll out one piece of dough on a lightly floured surface until it forms an 11-inch circle, adding flour as needed so it doesn't stick.  Transfer the dough to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and refrigerate while you roll out the other piece in the same way.

Switch the cookie sheets so you're working with the chilled circle of dough and the one you just rolled out is in the fridge.  Spread about 1/4 cup of frangipane on the dough, leaving a two inch border around the edge.  If using stone fruits, pit them and slice them 1/2 inch thick.  Layer the fruit on top of the frangipane.  We used 2 plums for one galette and a heaping cup of blueberries for the other.  Moving around the edge of the dough, fold in overlapping segments of dough to encase the filling (it's easy to do because these galettes are supposed to look rustic!).  Refrigerate that galette while you prep the other.

Brush the dough of both galettes with melted butter, and sprinkle about two teaspoons of sugar over the fruit and dough of each galette.  Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown on top but not burned on the bottom.  Cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Cut into wedges and serve with ice cream on top.

Ingredients for the ice cream (serves 6):

2 cups heavy cream, divided
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean
1 cup milk (I use 2%)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup raspberry coulis

In a medium saucepan, stir together half the cream with the sugar and salt.  Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, scrape the seeds into the mix, and throw the pod in, too.  Heat over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar is all dissolved.

Stir in the rest of the cream, the milk, and the vanilla.  Refrigerate the mixture until it's totally chilled (I'm impatient, so I usually stick mine in the freezer for about an hour).  Remove the vanilla bean and freeze in your ice cream maker.

In the bottom of an airtight container (freezing this container beforehand is a nice touch on a hot day), spoon a layer of raspberry coulis.  Top with a layer of ice cream, and continue to layer the coulis and ice cream until they're all packed up.  This will create beautiful raspberry swirls when you scoop your ice cream.  Freeze for at least two hours before serving.

Vanilla Bean Financiers

Ever since I found out about financiers, I've been wanting to make them.  They are French cakelets made with brown butter and almond flour, and traditionally baked in a financier mold (I really want one, but haven't gotten myself one yet).  Some people say a bakery near Paris' financial district started making these cookies and calling them financiers because they're shaped like bars of gold.  Others say they are called that because they're so rich that only financiers can afford to eat them.

Either way, I knew I was going to love the combination of brown butter and almond flour, and I did!  I added vanilla bean because I love the taste of vanilla and almond together, but to be more traditional you could leave the vanilla out.  If you make this version, you'll notice beautiful little flecks in two shades of brown: dark brown from the vanilla bean seeds and golden brown from the brown butter.  So pretty!

Once I get my financier pans, I want to try making some fruit-studded financiers--maybe a few raspberries or thin slices of peach on top.

These financiers are best warm and fresh from the oven, but are also delicious the next day, especially dunked in some milk or coffee.

Ingredients (makes 18 mini-muffin sized financiers; adapted from Dorie Greenspan's recipe):

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup almond flour
6 egg whites
1/2 vanilla bean
1 cup flour*

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Continue to cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter comes to a boil and browns.  As soon as the butter browns, remove the pan from the heat.  (If you haven't browned butter before, check out this step-by-step tutorial from How Sweet It Is.)

In another saucepan, stir together the sugar and almond flour.  Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla bean.  Using your fingers, rub the mixture to evenly distribute the vanilla.  Stir in the egg whites.  Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture is runny, lightened, and hot.

Remove from the heat and stir in the flour.  Gradually mix in the butter.

Refrigerate the batter for at least one hour, or up to three days, with plastic wrap right on top of the surface to keep out air.

Preheat your oven to 400.  Butter mini muffin tins or financier molds, then dust with flour and tap out any extra.  Fill molds almost to the top with batter and bake for 10-13 minutes, until puffed, golden brown around the edges, and set.

Turn out financiers onto a wire rack and cool to room temperature (or enjoy them warm).

*The recipe only called for 2/3 of a cup and I meant to follow it exactly except for the addition of the vanilla bean, but read the quantity wrong when I glanced at the recipe before adding the flour.  The cookies still turned out great.  You could try them with 2/3 or a full cup of flour; I just wanted to report exactly what I did.  Next time I'll check twice!