Blueberry Flan

Recently my sister Margaret had surgery and I offered to make something for her. She told me she liked bland food, like a risotto, or a dessert such as flan. Since I am all about the spice and flavors when cooking an entrée, I knew whatever I made would not be bland enough for Margaret.  So I decided to make Julia Child's Blueberry Flan. This decadent flan with its silky and creamy texture along with the flavor of summer blueberries was easy to make and simply elegant. Hopefully this flan helped Margaret with her recovery.

                                                 Julia Child's Blueberry Flan
                                                                courtesy of
                                                             NYTimes.com

Ingredients

Butter for pan
1 1/4 cups whole or 2 percent milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 pint (2 generous cups) blackberries or
   blueberries, rinsed and well drained

Preparation
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a medium-size flame proof baking dish at least 1 1/2 inches deep.

2. Place the milk, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and flour in a blender. Blend at top speed until smooth and frothy, about 1 minute.

3. Pour a 1/4-inch layer of batter in the baking dish. Turn on stove burner to low and set dish on top for a minute or two,  until a film of batter has set in the bottom of the dish. Remove from heat.

4. Spread berries over the batter and sprinkle on the remaining 1/3 cup granulated sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter and smooth with the back of a spoon. Place in the center of the oven and bake about 50 minutes, until top is puffed and browned and a tester plunged into the center comes out clean.

5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. (Clafoutis need not be served hot, but should be warm. It will sink slightly as it cools.)

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