Bay Laurel and Fig Clafoutis
While bay leaves are a staple in savory cooking such as stocks, stews and braises, we love to incorporate the herbal hit of bay laurel in sweet dishes too. It’s abundant in Northern California year-round and can be used fresh or dried by steeping in your cooking liquid of choice. A clafoutis is a light dessert that has milk and egg batter puffed in the oven around a generous amount of fruit. In this case, the bay leaves are steeped in milk, and the fruit of choice in the late summer or early fall is black fig. We like to place these with the seeds up to showcase the beautiful pink flesh of the fruit as it comes out of the oven.
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tablespoons for the pan and more to top the figs
- 1⅓ cups whole milk
- 3 bay leaves (fresh or dried)
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Kosher salt
- 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 pounds fresh black figs, stemmed and halved lengthwise
- Confectioners’ sugar, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a deep 9-inch ceramic or glass pie dish. Evenly sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar in the dish.
- In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add the milk and bay leaves. While constantly stirring, bring the milk to a simmer, then quickly remove from the heat and steep the bay leaves in the milk while you make the batter.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Sift in half of the flour. Remove the bay leaves from the milk and alternate adding the milk and the remaining flour, whisking until combined. Add the melted butter and whisk until incorporated.
- Arrange the sliced figs cut-side up around the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the batter over the figs, leaving about ⅛ inch of rim at the top of the baking dish and the figs just peeking out through the batter and slightly floating. Sprinkle a pinch of sugar on top of the figs.
- Bake for 1 hour, until the top is lightly golden and firm. Let the dish come to room temperature and lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving. The clafoutis can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Makes 8 servings.
Notes
Recipe excerpted from Feasts on the Farm: Over 60 Seasonal Recipes and Stories of Sustainable Farming from Tomales Farmstead Creamery by Tamara Jo Hicks and Jessica Lynn MacLeod, © 2025. Published by Chronicle Books. Photographs © Katie Newburn.
