What the hell is a Clafoutis? That’s what I asked my husband when he suggested I make one. It’s something he stumbled across while watching reruns of Good Eats, and he was quite excited about me making one with beer. After some reasearch, I found it to be a cross between a dutch baby (also wacky but more well-known fluffy pankcake-y crepe-y thing you see at restaurants) and a yorkshire pudding. I decided to make a beer syrup to go along with the clafoutis in case it was a total disaster, I could drown it in something delicious and also use it to make beer sugar. Beer sugar is easy, it’s basically how you make brown sugar. You take some of the beer syrup and mix it in your baking white granulated sugar and poof! – beer sugar.

Ingredients for Clafoutis:

2.5 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (or cherries or blackberries)

4 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated beer sugar

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup AP flour

butter for dutch oven or cast iron

Ingredients for Syrup:

1 cup beer

1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of your cooking vessel. I used my large cast iron pan, but you can use a dutch oven as well. Make sure there is room for your cast iron to cook in the middle rack.
2. If using fresh cherries make sure they are pitted, and if you are using frozen berries make sure to wash them and thaw them before cooking. Make sure there is no excess juice.
3. Make beer syrup by cooking down so the liquid is reduced by half. Use half of the syrup to mix in with the 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and save the second half for drizzling over the cooked clafoutis.
4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and beer sugar until frothy, add milk vanilla and flour and whisk to combine. Place the fruit in a layer on the bottom of the cast iron and pour the batter over the fruit. Add additional fruit on top if desired.
5. Cook in the middle rack, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until golden brown on top.
6. Allow to cool slightly, for at least 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle beer syrup and add powdered sugar if desired.

I am sure people will think I am crazy to use the Bruery x Bottleworks 12, an imperial whitbier sour but it was really quite delicious. We had decided to open it anyways, I just used a cup of it to make a dessert and it turned out damn tasty. The overall texture was smooth and delicate while the taste was tart balanced by the sweet powdered sugar and the pops of the fresh fruit. My only concern was it was a dish that would go bad quickly because it’s mainly eggs and milk. I think this was a hit and I would totally make this again. Let me know how yours turns out!