Recipes,  Something Sweet

Apple Flognarde… A Light French Clafoutis Dessert

Apple Flognarde is a delicious traditional French specialty hailing from the Limousin and Auvergne region in the southwest of France. A flognarde, similar to a Clafoutis which is made with cherries, is essentially a puffed “soufflé” baked with fresh fruit. Although you can make it with blackberries, peaches, figs, or blueberries, just to name a few, an apple version is perfectly appropriate for the fall, when you can find delicious native apples at your local orchards. The Apple Flognarde resembles a light-as-air pancake and puffs up when baked. It is slightly sweet and boasts a delicious vanilla flavor, similar to a crepe. The flognarde eventually deflates after cooling, leaving a light and crispy golden “custard” surrounding the baked apples. Served with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, this is the perfect light dessert to end a heavy meal. 

Apple Flognarde

Ingredients
2 apples (whatever is local and fresh will do!)
1 1/2 cups milk (low-fat is fine)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar + 1 tbsp
1/2 cup flour + 1 tbsp, sifted
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of a lemon

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Peel and cut the apples into slices.
Butter a 9″ pie dish and place the apple pieces on the bottom of the dish. It’s nice to put them in a neat pattern. (*note: I doubled the recipe for the flognarde in these photos, which I made in an extra large dish!)
Whisk the flour, milk, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and lemon zest in a bowl (it will look like crepe batter).
Pour the mixture over the apples in the dish.


Bake for 45 minutes, or until the apples are browned on top and the pancake is puffed.
The “pancake” will deflate when left to cool.
Let cool 30 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Apple Flognarde
 
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: French
 
Ingredients
  • 2 apples (whatever is local and fresh will do!)
  • 1½ cups milk (low-fat is fine)
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ cup sugar + 1 tbsp
  • ½ cup flour + 1 tbsp, sifted
  • 2 Tbs vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • zest of a lemon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Peel and cut the apples in cubes.
  3. Butter a 9″ pie dish and place the apple pieces on the bottom of the dish.
  4. Whisk the flour, milk, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and lemon zest in a bowl (it will look like crepe batter).
  5. Pour the mixture over the apples in the dish.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the apples are browned on top and the pancake is puffed.
  7. The “pancake” will deflate when left to cool.
  8. Let cool 30 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

4 Comments

  • Laina

    This looks great but do you just mix in the flour with all the wet ingredients because i don’t see it mentioned?
    Thank You 🙂

    • Janelle

      Hi Laina, ooops so sorry I forgot to mention! Yes, you can whisk all of the wet and dry ingredients together (flour, milk, eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and lemon zest) and then pour over the apples that are placed in the dish. I hope you enjoy – it’s a great dish! 🙂

  • Louise

    Hi Janelle Have you tried it with gluten free flour? Do you think it would work? I used to make this all the time years ago, but now I have a gluten intolerance. Do you think it would work?

    • Janelle

      Hi Louise! I haven’t tried it with gluten free flour yet, but I do think it may work. I definitely want to explore baking with gluten free flour in other recipes. Let me know if you give it a shot! 🙂

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