This is Nigel Slater’s redo of clafoutis, a French rustic dessert that is traditionally made with cherries. Slater’s version is a good showcase for the flavor and color of blueberries: the amount of sugar doesn’t overwhelm their tart aspect, and the pretty blue juices of the berries stain the batter as they burst. The sides and bottom of the pudding, or quasi-custard, as you and I are more likely to think of it, form a nice golden brown crust. The center remains delicate with a near flan consistency.

Blueberry batter pudding is served warm with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and drizzle of cream. I forgot to sprinkle on confectioners’ sugar when serving, but found it sufficiently sweet without it. Not a decadent dessert, it is very subtle, very pleasing—something that could be served for breakfast with coffee, at brunch, as an afternoon sweet with tea, or after dinner. Another bonus: it is extremely easy to make.

DCCC kitchen notes: This recipe calls for a 10-inch ovenproof dish. A 9-inch baking pan can be used in its place, though an additional10 minutes should be added to the baking time.

Nigel Slater says to “whiz” the batter ingredients together in a blender or food processor, or to beat them altogether with a handheld whisk. I whisked them. Some flour didn’t dissolve, and I was worried that small lumps of flour would be detectable in the finished pudding. None were.

The recipes in Ripe use a few British ingredients that can be difficult to find in grocery stores here. Superfine sugar is one of them. If you don’t have any, grind regular granulated sugar to a fine consistency (but not powder) in a blender or food processor. Or just use regular sugar, adding an extra teaspoon.

Slater calls for cream when serving, but doesn’t specify the type. I assumed he means heavy cream because my British friends James and Laura serve heavy cream with just about every sort dessert.

Enough for 4 to 6

4 eggs
a scant ⅔ cup (75 g) all-purpose flour
a heaping ⅓ cup (80 to 90 g) superfine sugar
1 cup (250 ml) light cream
1 scant cup (225 ml) whole milk
10 ounces (300 g) blueberries (about 2 cups)
Confectioners’ sugar and cream, to serve

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Butter an ovenproof dish about 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter.

Whiz the eggs, flour, superfine sugar, cream, and milk together in a blender or food processor, or beat them all together with a handheld whisk. Tip the fruit into the dish, pour over the batter, then bake for about forty minutes, until the batter is lightly risen, golden, and just firm to the touch. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with cream.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Ripe: A Cook in the Orchard by Nigel Slater, copyright © 2010, 2012. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.