Mango Saffron Claffouti

Mango Saffron Claffouti

I’ve just dragged Julia Child, kicking and screaming, to India.  If Judy Densch and Maggie Smith can go, why not Julia, albeit posthumously?

 I’ve been having my friend Ruth staying here for a few days, and we were having a couple more friends over for lunch.  For dessert, I thought to serve my lemon lavender blueberry claffouti, but Ruth suggested I do something Indian, so I came up with this:

½ cup cream
pinch of saffron
extra butter for greasing pan
3 eggs
1 tablespoon soft butter
½ cup raw cane sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon rosewater
½ cup flour
pinch of salt
2 cups cubed mango (I confess to frozen, but fresh is always better)

Pour cream into a small bowl, add the saffron, and microwave for thirty seconds.  Set aside.  Butter a baking dish and set aside.  Preheat the oven to 350 F.  In a medium size bowl beat eggs, butter, sugar and milk and rosewater.  Whisk the saffron and cream into the mixture followed by the flour and salt.  Distribute the mango evenly into the baking dish and pour the mixture over the mango. 

Bake for 45 minutes, or until it looks golden and firm.  Let it rest for at least half an hour before slicing into wedges.

This makes a tempting dessert, not too sweet, and it's silly easy and fairly healthy.  Ruth and I threw caution to the wind and gobbled the last of it the next morning for breakfast. 

I think the next time I make it I’ll omit the saffron and go with my fave- cardamom instead.  I liked this a lot, but I just know I’ll adore it with cardamom!  What do you think-saffron or cardamom?  We really should have a vote.