The phrase “classic French dessert” sounds fancy, and this one is, but it’s also super easy. A clafoutis (say clah-foo-tea) is basically a thick egg batter topped with fruit — traditionally whole, black cherries — and baked ‘til it’s puffy and tender. It has a lovely, eggy texture that falls somewhere between a custard and a popover.

For this version, we’ve used ripe blueberries instead of cherries because they’re in season, and we love how they plump up, sweet and juicy, in the oven. We’ve also infused the butter with a little thyme, adding a subtle, herby complexity to the clafoutis. The result is a delicately savory-sweet dessert — a very pleasant addition to the summer lineup of crisps, crumbles, and cobblers.

Clafoutis is just the kind of simple, elegant dessert you want to punctuate a relaxed evening of grilling on the patio. And yet, since it is so very like a Dutch Baby or a crêpe, it’s also delightful on the brunch table. We recently served it with our asparagus breakfast hash, and it was the perfect last bite with a cup of coffee.

Our tip: You can use any fruit in this recipe. For a tender clafoutis, make sure you mix together all of the wet ingredients, plus the sugar, before adding the flour. Whisk the batter until it’s incorporated and smooth, but don’t overdo it.

Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 Tbsp butter

3 sprigs thyme

1 cup whole milk

3 eggs

½ cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups blueberries

Directions

1. Let the milk and eggs come to room temperature, about one hour, so that they will incorporate completely in the batter, which will create a smoother clafoutis.

2. Preheat the oven to 325°.

3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with thyme over medium heat; remove the thyme, transfer the butter to a bowl, and let it cool 10 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and the thyme butter until the sugar is dissolved. Add the flour and whisk just until smooth.

5. Pour the batter into a cast-iron skillet or a pie or tart pan.

6. Add the blueberries.

7. Bake until the clafoutis is beautifully puffed and golden, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from: Epicurious