Bake Chai Peach Clafoutis, A Dessert For All The Better Days Ahead

In a few weeks I'll be fully vaccinated, and once that happens I plan to drastically reduce the amount of time I spend in the kitchen so I can spend more time doing... I'm not sure what. It's been so long, I don't even remember what sort of things I like to do. Maybe I'll use this as an excuse to reinvent myself. Maybe I'll finally pursue my dream of becoming a falconer, so that one day I may travel across the land solving mysteries and dispensing bird justice. If this past year has taught me anything, it's that I can't keep putting off all the things that make me happy. It's time to live, and it's impossible to do that without dessert.

I've recently rekindled my love affair with clafoutis, which requires less than 60 seconds of physical activity, and by "physical activity" I mean pressing buttons and pouring things into other things. Another reason this dessert has been in heavy rotation at my house: I nearly always have milk, eggs, flour, sugar, butter, and a few bags of frozen fruit in my kitchen. The recipe below is a simple, spectacular riff off my basic recipe; infusing the milk with chai before making the batter only adds about three minutes of prep time. (I spend these three minutes watching bird videos on my phone.) You can use any tea you like, just as you can use any frozen fruit you'd like, and it won't affect the outcome of your recipe. Pop this in the oven just before dinner, and once you're done eating, a warm, custardy dessert will be ready for you to enjoy with reckless abandon. That is exactly the sort of conclusion each of our well-lived days deserves.

Allison Robicelli

• 16 oz. frozen peaches, thawed
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 chai tea bag
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. softened butter and 2 Tbsp. sugar, for greasing pan

Using a small saucepan or the microwave, heat the milk, butter, and chai together until barely simmering. Set aside and allow to steep while the oven preheats to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove the tea bag from the milk, wring it out above the saucepan or bowl, and discard. Using an upright or immersion blender, blend the milk with the flour, brown sugar, eggs, salt, and vanilla on high speed until fully combined (about 15 seconds).

Grease the inside of a 10-inch pie, tart, or cake pan with the tablespoon of softened butter, then sprinkle in the sugar to coat. Pour enough batter into the pan to cover the bottom, add the peaches in an even layer, then pour the remaining batter on top. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the clafoutis is golden and puffed. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving.