Cherry Clafoutis

I made this, and it was so easy, and so good!



https://www.davidlebovitz.com/cherry-clafoutis-recipe/

I didn't diverge from the recipe, except that 20 minutes into baking, the top looked pretty brown, so I reduced the heat to 350 degrees.

Recipe:

1 1/4 pounds (570g) sweet cherries
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup (70g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup (100g) plus 3 tablespoons (45g) sugar
1 1/3 cup (330ml) whole or lowfat milk
Softened butter, for preparing the baking dish

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Smear a 2-quart (2l) shallow baking dish liberally with butter.

2. Stem and pit the cherries. Lay them in a single layer in the baking dish.

3. In a standard blender, or using an immersion blender and a bowl, mix the eggs, flour, vanilla and almond extracts, ½ cup sugar, and milk together until smooth.

4. Pour the batter over the cherries and sprinkle the fruit and batter with the 3 tablespoons of sugar.

5. Bake the clafoutis until the custard is just set; a knife poked in the center should emerge relatively clean. It’ll take about 45 minutes.

Serving: The clafoutis can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold. It’s traditionally not served with any accompaniment.

Storage: The Clafoutis can be made up to one day in advance, and refrigerated overnight.

Note: reduce oven heat to 350 next time. KEEWERD

Baked Mac and Cheese

I've never done a baked mac & cheese before, so I turned to Martha Stewart for some help. I followed her recipe almost exactly, and it turned out beautifully. It was creamy, with the right amount of sharpness. Next time, I'll cook some bacon to serve on the side as an optional topping/stir-in.

My additions/changes are in brackets.:

https://www.marthastewart.com/271998/perfect-macaroni-and-cheese

Recipe

You can easily divide this recipe in half; use a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish if you do.

Serves 12

6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces [I used Progresso Plain Bread Crumbs with salt and freshly-grated Pecorino Romano mixed in. Not sure how much, maybe a cup of crumbs blended with 2 tablespoons of melted butter.]
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar [I used 10 ounces Trader Joe's Unexpected Cheddar, and 8 ounces of cheap sharp cheddar cheese that I bought at Target]
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. [I just heated the milk up in the microwave in a very large glass measuring cup.]

2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick. [It's important to add the milk just a bit at a time at first and to whisk constantly, to prevent lumps. But if you do get lumps, an immersion blender will save you.]

3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere. Set cheese sauce aside.

4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer's directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve. [Important: Place casserole dish on top of a larger cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, to prevent a mess in your oven!] KEEWERD