Clafouti is a baked dessert traditionally made with layers of fruit. This take on clafouti is made with butternut squash and hazelnuts with a rich egg and vanilla batter. Treat your family and friends to a rich take on a traditional dessert.

Photos by Harry Katz

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND HAZELNUT CLAFOUTI

Claverach Farm adapted this recipe from The Last Course by Claudia Fleming.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash weighing 4 to 5 pounds
5 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 inch piece of vanilla bean, split lengthwise, pulp scraped
1 pinch of salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash in half, and scrape out the seeds. Place the halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet, and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

2. When cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh into a food processor, and blend to a smooth purée. Line a sieve or colander with a double layer of cheesecloth, and place over a bowl. Spoon the purée into the lined sieve, and let drain in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. You will need 2/3 cup of the drained purée.

3. Place the eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, milk, cream, vanilla extract, vanilla pulp, and salt in a blender or food processor. Blend or pulse until very smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the squash purée, and blend well. Add the flour, and pulse until well-combined.

4. Pass the batter through a fine sieve, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. You can also let the batter rest in the refrigerator overnight, but let it come to room temperature before you are ready to bake.

5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush a 9-inch pie plate with the melted butter, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle the hazelnuts in the pie plate, and pour the batter over the nuts. Bake for 15 minutes, and then lower the heat to 375 degrees and bake until the center is just set, about 12 minutes.

Tip: Serve with whipped crème fraîche, which is a mixture of equal parts heavy cream and crème fraîche, sweetened to taste with confectioners sugar and a splash of vanilla extract and whipped to soft peaks.

Serves 8