Plum Flognarde

They look like peaches in the closeup, don't they? But they're plums. I've made a cherry clafouti, which is the only true clafouti...anything made with other fruits are called flognarde (pronounced flow  nyard)....but couldn't resist trying this. The plums in the market tempted me. I found this recipe a tad more custardy (is that a word?) than my cherry clafouti recipe, but it was still awfully good. Perhaps served with a little cream? Not ice cream. Cold coffee cream on this warm flognarde would be perfect, although we liked it plain with a bit of confectioners sugar sprinkled on top.

Plum Flognarde
Adapted from La Tartine Gourmande via Pastry Affair 

Ingredients:

1 pound plums, cut in half with stones removed (I used 6 medium sized plums) 

2 tablespoons sugar + 1/2 cup sugar 

2 tablespoons butter 

3 eggs 

1/2 cup heavy cream 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 cup milk 

1/4 cup cornstarch

Method:

Preheat oven to 410 degrees F (210 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9-inch baking dish.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sprinkle on 2 tablespoons sugar. Place halved plums face down into the butter and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and 1/2 cup sugar until well blended. Whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla.

In a small bowl, mix together milk and cornstarch until well combined. Whisk milk mixture into egg mixture.

Place plums face up in prepared baking dish. Pour the liquids over the plums. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm, with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Keep refrigerated in a covered container.

Marion Cunningham's Lemon Pancakes

If you're looking for a refreshing summer weekend breakfast, look no farther. This recipe reminded me of Val and her slow Sundays. I love those recipes! Light as air, these pancakes puff up while cooking and then flatten out somewhat when you plate them. Such a tender mouthful when you bite into a stack and if you top with some fresh strawberries or raspberries (even better, fresh raspberry syrup), you'll have a breakfast or brunch to remember. Frankly, with that fabulous lemon flavor, I think they're marvelous plain, but if your family has a sweet tooth, you could always use syrup, or honey....as I did in the photo. I fold them in half and eat them almost as fast as I make them. 
Marion Cunningham's recipes are so good and this cookbook is a complete gem.

Bench note: Don't make the pancakes too big; it makes them difficult to turn in the pan. Three large tablespoons for each is perfect.

Lemon Pancakes
From The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham

Ingredients:
3 eggs, separated
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

Method:
Separate the eggs and beat the whites until stiff peaks form.In another bowl add egg yolks along with the remaining ingredients and with the same beaters you used for the whites, beat the mixture until well mixed.
Fold the egg whites carefully until you no longer see white streaks.
Heat a skillet or griddle and grease lightly. Use about 3 large tablespoons of batter for each pancake, no more. Cook slowly for a couple minutes, then turn and cook for another minute. Keep warm in a 250 oven while cooking the remaining pancakes. Makes about 12 three inch pancakes.

Dad's Pineapple Sherbet

As a child, my home was on the St. Clair River in a little town in Michigan called Algonac; the river is important because it connects the Great Lakes and vessels can travel between the upper and lower Great Lakes. As a result,  freighters were a common sight tooling right by in front of our house. It was quite amazing actually (which I've come to realize since returning as an adult), because the river is extremely narrow in many places and these freighters are enormous. The river is also the international boundary between the Canadian province of Ontario and Michigan.

My dad, who was not exactly comfortable in the kitchen, made two things of note: caramel popcorn and pineapple sherbet. And we made the sherbet in winter as ice was readily available. The river often froze over.....I remember skating on it as a child....which, needless to say, caused huge problems for shipping. A hefty current, busy freighter traffic and Coast Guard cutters help to keep the ice moving, but there are times when there are still ice jams. Once 18 freighters in a line got jammed up in the ice.

At any rate, Dad would go down to the shore and get ice for our ice cream maker. One of those old hand churning wooden ones. We'd set things up in the basement where there was drain in the floor because ice with lots of salt sprinkled on each layer led to water seeping out of the holes in the sides. Then we'd all take turns churning.

It was a wonder there was ever much ice cream left as Dad would open the top to see if the ice cream was done, and we'd all dip our spoons in. The tasting became more fun than eating the finished ice cream. We loved Dad's pineapple sherbet. 
My children had his caramel popcorn often enough, but by the time they were old enough to enjoy churning ice cream, my parents had moved to Florida and the old churn was left behind.

Now that summer is upon us, and even though our rivers and lakes aren't frozen :), I thought you might like to try my dad's recipe. Would you believe this is the first time I've ever made it in over 40 years? Things are so much simpler now; I almost feel as though I'm cheating.

    Dad, Mackinac Island, 1960

Dad's Pineapple Sherbet

Ingredients:

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups half and half

1 cup sugar

1 3/4 cups whipping cream

12 ounces crushed pineapple, undrained

2 lemons, juice only

Method:

In a saucepan, over medium heat, heat the 1/2 and 1/2; do not allow to boil. Beat  the eggs and sugar. Temper the eggs and then pour everything back, and cook, whisking, until the mixture thickens a bit or  until a thermometer reads 160° and the mixture coats a spoon.  Once again, do not allow to boil. Strain. Cool. 

Add the whipping cream, lemon juice and pineapple. Chill overnight. Churn away!

It freezes hard, so you'll have to let it soften a bit to scoop. I topped it with some fresh pineapple caramelized in butter, dark brown sugar and dark rum, so the warmth melted the sherbet a bit.