The Primal Blueprint Cookbook (43 page)

Pour mixture into greased baking dish and set dish into baking pan in the oven. Sprinkle grated nutmeg over top of custard mixture.

Carefully pour water into the baking pan (not the custard dish) until water is halfway up the side of the custard dish.

Bake the custard for about 35 minutes, or until just set in the center (a sharp knife inserted in the center will be clean when removed). Remove from oven and cool.

Serve at room temperature or chilled. Store covered in refrigerator.

Traditionally made with cherries, clafouti (claw-foo-tee) is an non-fussy way to use picked-at-the-peak-of-ripeness seasonal fruit in a not-quite-custard, not-quite-cake format. Delicious for dessert, leftovers are also welcome for breakfast. The relatively low sugar, healthy fats make this a practically guiltless dessert. Most clafouti batters only call for a small amount of wheat flour, so this is an easy conversion with gluten-free, grain-free flours. The amount of sugar in conventional recipes can often be reduced quite a bit, too. Coconut milk can also be substituted for the milk and half & half.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Generously butter a shallow 1 to 1 ½ quart baking dish (or pie plate). Place sliced peaches in dish. In a blender, blend the remaining ingredients for about 2 minutes (a handheld stick blender is fast and easy to clean, or a whisk will work, too). Pour the batter mixture over the peaches. Bake in a 375°F oven for about 40–45 minutes or until clafouti is golden. Let cool slightly, but it’s best served when it is slightly warm.

Garnish with a shake of cinnamon, a drizzle of heavy cream, and/or whipped cream.

This plain ice cream base is great on its own, or add flavor with a variety of additions such as vanilla, cooled espresso, powdered green tea, crushed fruit, cocoa paste, nuts, or dark chocolate chips. Additions that are liquid, purée, and paste consistency can be incorporated when blending the base ingredients, but chunky ingredients and cut up fruit should be stirred after the ice cream machine has finished the first stage of freezing and the ice cream is “soft serve” consistency.

Unfrozen ice cream base will taste sweeter than the final frozen version, as cold temperatures reduce the sensation of sweetness. Maple syrup and honey sweeteners do add a pronounced flavor to ice cream; some object to a strong honey flavor in ice cream. Grade A Light Amber maple syrup is generally well-accepted, but Grade B Dark maple syrup really brings out the maple-y flavor and pairs well with lightly toasted nuts like pecans or walnuts.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl 1 to 2 minutes, until they are light and fluffy.

Whisk in the maple syrup (or honey) until well blended. Pour in the coconut milk and whisk again to blend well.

Freeze according to ice cream machine instructions or place in a shallow dish in the freezer for several hours, stirring once an hour until frozen firmly (this hand stirring method doesn’t require an ice cream maker but may create an icier texture). Store in a covered airtight container in the freezer for up to two weeks. Shallow, wide containers are easier to scoop from.