Clafoutis-like plum flaugnarde

It's not every day I hit a recipe on the head with my first try. It's not every year I do this with baking. But yesterday, I did it. Faced with dozens of plums, I made plum clafoutis (I say erroneously, the proper name being....) and for a time, heaven was mine.

I first saw a plum clafoutis recipe during an Instagram/blog spiral that led me here. I had no idea what a clafoutis was, but the recipe looked oh so simple. A little research later, I found that Julia Child puts forth a venerable clafoutis recipe in a book on my shelf no less! One quick recipe hybridization and 2 hours later, a rustic, flan-like angel tart was mine.

Here's what I did:

Wash, slice in half, and remove the pits from 1 pound of plums (or cherries, apricots, peaches, etc.) Set aside.

Generously butter a glass pie dish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

In the food processor (or blender), add:
1/3 cup almond flour (I ground raw almonds in the food processor first, then proceeded with below)
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 and 1/4 cups 2% milk (have tried many kinds except skim, all with success)
1/4 cup cane sugar
3 eggs
1 T vanilla extract (see note)
1 generous pinch of salt
1 generous pinch of house special spice or just plain cinnamon
1 tsp olive oil
(later you will also need 1/4 cup brown sugar)

Mix the crap out of the above (excluding the brown sugar) for about a minute until frothy and well-combined.

Borrowing from Julia's method, pour enough batter into the pie dish to cover the bottom by about a quarter inch. Put this in the oven for ~5 minutes and turn the oven down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Carefully take the dish out of the oven and arrange the plums in the bottom of the dish, cut side down. (I started with one plum in the center and then did two tight concentric circles around it.) Then sprinkle ~1/4 cup of non-packed brown sugar all over the plums. Finally, slowly pour the remaining batter over everything.

Bake for 25 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for ~25 more. When it's done the top will be lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean. There will be an intoxicating vanilla smell. Given a small shake, the center won't giggle (or only an area the size of a dime in the very center will giggle).

Enjoy warm or room temperature. Excellent for breakfast.

Note: I later got feedback, like months later, that the vanilla was too strong. The nerve of some people to not be direct from the beginning! So lately (see next note) I've dropped this down to a generous tsp and all is well (although I sneak in some almond extract too now).

Another Note: I've done this a hundred times now with all kinds of fruit, even frozen berries, and all kinds of proportions. Use any type of flour. Use a nut milk. Use a different nut. Spice is up. This is wildly adaptable. It's always delicious.