Do you ever have those moments when you are glad that you are friends with your kitchen? Your hand goes past your face, and you get a smell of peaches. You check the other hand, bringing it to your nose and there is a dash of almond still residing there. If someone was smelling your hair, there would probably be the lingering smell of a little baked vanilla and sugar. I like those moments. It sure beats smelling like old sausages… or cabbages.

Now, up until now I had been Clafoutis-less. That is, I hadn’t eaten one before, let alone made one. I was reading through the tasty Bits and Breadcrumbs, and there before me was a clafoutis. Looking fine in all its appley-ness. I commented, I mentioned I had peaches. Bits&Breadcrumbs mentioned amaretto and whoosh I was off.

Amaretto had been on my list of ‘things’ for a couple of years. I still hadn’t bought any. Put it down to hormones or an obsessive compulsive collection of taste buds but I rather fancied some and the best biscuits of my life eaten here, had only enhanced that wanting. I nipped down to the bottle shop before I could convince myself otherwise and two minutes later was left holding a gorgeous big bottle that surely would last years…maybe.

I resisted having a smell of it there and then, but key in the front door, Little Monkey pushed to the side and that lid was off like a rocket.

Ahhhhh, that’s the ticket.

It smells amazing. I have no inclination to drink it, (on account of a bubba in my belly) but smell it, oh yes. So I do, all afternoon.

Every time I walk past the kitchen. Sometimes I find an excuse just to walk by again.

Ahhhhh… Amaretto, I think I love thee.

I don’t know what it is that appeals. It’s slightly medicinal smelling, and like marzipan it has that almond something that just does it for me. What’s not to like really.

Peach and Almond Clafoutis

3 eggs

50g raw sugar

75g plain flour

50g almond meal

300mls cream

80mls milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbls amaretto

zest of half a lemon

peaches quartered

Grease a baking dish, and sprinkle it with raw sugar.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together. Then whisk in remaining ingredients. Set aside and cut or slice your peaches, (or any other seasonal fruit*). Line the baking dish with them and then gently pour your cream mixture in.

Bake at 180C for approximately 40 minutes.

******

It’s summer here, so stone fruit is tasting wonderful at the moment. Use what ever fruit you have in season though, apples (like bits and breadcrumbs did), blueberries, cherries (as was traditionally used), apricots, plums, or raspberries (as Christine made at Slow Living Essentials)…

run with it.