One of my favorite fall activities is apple picking. Not only do our kids love apple picking, but so do my husband and I. Needless to say, we end up leaving with tons of apples.
Apple pie, baked apples, applesauce and apple crisp are usually the first recipes that come to mind, but I like to use the apples to make a really delicious, light — and not too sweet — cake called Apple Raisin Clafoutis.
Clafoutis is a french baked dessert that involves fruit and a custard-like filling. Traditionally, cherries are incorporated, but my version is made with apples, raisins and topped with sliced almonds.
Generally, the cake is made with butter, white sugar and white flour. I’ve modified the recipe, replacing the white flour with brown rice flour, the butter with safflower oil and the white sugar with natural maple syrup. And, to be honest, you would never know the difference!!
The beauty of this cake is that it doesn’t require a lot of effort — not much more than peeling and slicing four apples and making a quick batter in the blender. It’s a no-fuss cake that’s perfect for any day of the week – but it’s also elegant enough for a dinner party or holiday gathering.
I like to serve the cake with whipped cream — or ice cream. If you are limiting your dairy, try cashew cream, or our Banana Maple Walnut Ice Cream! However, you can totally forgo a topping since the cake itself is so delicious!
Apple Raisin Clafoutis
Serves eight
4 apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons of safflower oil
1/2 cup of raisins
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 cup of maple syrup (*I prefer Grade B for baking)
1/2 cup of milk
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup of brown rice flour
1/4 cup of sliced almonds
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-cup shallow baking dish or a 12-inch pie or tart pan.
Add the safflower oil to a large skillet on medium/low heat. Add sliced apples and cook until lightly browned and tender. Add the raisins, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Mix to incorporate; turn off the heat and reserve.
In the base of a blender add the eggs, milk, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, brown rice flour and vanilla extract. Blend on high for one minute. If you are using a Vitamix or other high performance blender you might want to reduce the blending time. At the end of the day, all of the ingredients should be well incorporated.
Spread the apple/raisin mixture in the greased baking dish/pan and pour the batter over the apples. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top of the cake. Bake one hour and serve warm.
