RECIPE: Spiced Apple Mochi Clafoutis
Clafoutis is a French dessert of fresh fruit baked within a sweet batter. Because the batter has more liquid than dry ingredients, the final consistency of the clafoutis is less cake and more solid pudding – moist and soft inside, with an easy-to-scoop consistency.
This recipe takes the best of clafoutis and makes a few adjustments. For one, the batter eliminates wheat flour for mochiko, or glutinous sticky rice powder, making it a gluten-free clafoutis while retaining the traditional structure. Mochiko is a core ingredient in many Japanese wagashi confectioneries due to its bouncy, chewy texture.
A traditional clafoutis incorporates cherries, but much like pie, any firm fruit that holds up in baking will do. We selected apples for this recipe to create a fall-themed clafoutis with warm spices like cinnamon and allspice. They are elevated by another Japanese ingredient, kokuto – Okinawa black sugar. Kokuto gives a nice licorice taste while also incorporating a rich sweetness. Pre-cooking the apple with the spices allows the flavors to meld to the fruit before incorporating the batter. While the walnuts are optional, they add an a crunchy contrast to the soft, sweet batter and fruit.
Enjoy our Spiced Apple Mochi Clafoutis while still warm, either with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
You can find the mochiko and kokuto used in this recipe in our Baking: “Amai” Care Package.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 100ml milk
- 30g mochiko (glutinous sticky rice powder)
- 1 large egg
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 10g granulated sugar (adjust if using sweeter apples)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 small to medium apple, cored, peeled and sliced into 12 or so pieces
- 20g walnuts, chopped (optional)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp kokuto (Okinawa black sugar)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F.
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk, mochiko, egg, vanilla, and the granulated sugar. Set aside.
- Select an oven-safe skillet or round baking dish about 20 cm (8 in) in diameter. Over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Toss the apples and walnuts in the spices, salt, and kokuto then saute in the buttered skillet until the apple pieces are softened and slightly caramelized.
- Turn off the heat and arrange the apples in the skillet evenly. Carefully pour the mochiko batter over the apples.
- Bake in the oven for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the apples are nicely caramelized and the edge of the clafoutis is a nice golden brown.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting. The clafoutis is best served warm, topped with powdered sugar or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Recipe and highlighted products available in our Baking: "Amai" Care Package
About the recipe creator and photographer: Yaz Gentry is a freelance recipe developer and food-lover based in Tokyo, Japan. Half-Japanese and half-American, she enjoys fusing together seasonal ingredients and dishes from both cultures as a reflection of her mixed heritage. You can follow her culinary adventures at www.meshibliss.com and @
1 comment
Amazing recipe and so easy to make. We didn’t have allspice but just used a bit more cinnamon and cloves.