Stunning home-made goodness

My Kitchen Rules winners and Cambridge friends and offer a recipe to take advantage of the long summer.

PLUM AND DARK CHOCOLATE CLAFOUTIS

Gluten and refined sugar free and a wicked ‘‘make-ahead’’ spectacular sweet treat, using syrupy sweet ‘n’ sour plums and decadent dark chocolate - simply stunning homemade goodness. Prep time:10 mins Cooking time: 30-40mins Recipe serves: 8 This is an oldie but a goodie, but she so deserves to come back every year or every season in your home.

Plus, we think it’s even better in this late summer heat firm and fridge cold with nuggets of dark chocolate fudgy goodness and sharp bursts of sweet ‘n’ sour plums.

I mean really, does it get much better?

Clafoutis is one of those rustic French desserts that is a cross between a thick pancake, set custard and a flan.

It’s neither intricate nor complicated but it’s absolutely irresistible and can easily be whipped up throughout the year using different fruits.

Have fun playing around with this recipe. I’m already thinking new season’s pear, stem ginger and dark chocolate for autumn, served warm with pouring cream.

Yes, bring on the autumn fruits, calm still weather and cooler evenings. See you at the Broth Bar, friends.

INGREDIENTS

Coconut oil or butter for baking dish or cast iron fry pan.

6 Black Dorris Plums - or any stone fruit, stones removed and halved. 1 cup coconut milk or nut milk. 3 large free range eggs. 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract. 75g coconut sugar or sweetener of your choice.

50g almond flour (or flour of your choice).

40g cacao powder or good quality cocoa powder.

teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt.

1 cup 80% (or higher) dark chocolate cut into chunks or cacao nibs.

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease well a 10-inch cast iron fry pan or ceramic dish with butter or coconut oil; set aside.

Blend coconut milk, eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

Stir together almond flour, cacao powder, coconut sugar and salt. Mix the dry and wet ingredients into a smooth batter. Add chocolate chunks.

Pour batter into fry pan, top with plum halves.

Bake until puffed and cooked through about 30-40 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature, but this is even better chilled and cut into thin wedges, dollop with probiotic yoghurt or coconut yoghurt, stunning!

-Neena Truscott and Belinda MacDonald operate The Green Kitchen in Cambridge. Visit their website: thegreenkitchen.co.nz