Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •10-inch ceramic baking dish or cast iron skillet
• •Fine-mesh sieve for dusting
• •Whisk or blender

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the apricots

   Start with the fruit. Your apricots should give slightly when pressed near the stem and smell like apricots, sweet and faintly floral, before you cut them. If they are hard and scentless, wait. This dessert depends on ripeness more than any technique you bring to it. Halve the fruit along the seam and twist gently to separate. Remove the pits.

   Freestone apricots separate cleanly from their pits. If yours cling, slice the flesh away in sections. The dessert forgives imperfection.
2. 2

   Prepare the dish

   Position a rack in the center of your oven and heat to 375F. Rub a 10-inch ceramic baking dish or cast iron skillet generously with butter, reaching every corner. Sprinkle one tablespoon of sugar across the bottom and swirl to coat. This creates a delicate crust beneath the custard.

3. 3

   Make the batter

   Whisk the eggs and half cup of sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture lightens and thickens slightly, about two minutes by hand. Sift in the flour and whisk until smooth, no lumps hiding. Pour in the milk and cream in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Add vanilla and salt. The batter should be thin and pourable, like heavy cream.

   You can blend this in a blender for thirty seconds if you prefer. Either way, let the batter rest five minutes before pouring. It relaxes the gluten.
4. 4

   Arrange the fruit

   Place the apricot halves cut-side up in the prepared dish, nestling them close but not crowded. Some can overlap. They will sink into the batter as it bakes, then rise again as the custard puffs around them.

5. 5

   Pour and bake

   Pour the batter slowly over and around the apricots, filling the dish to about three-quarters. Some fruit will peek above the surface. Transfer carefully to the oven. Bake until the custard puffs dramatically at the edges, turns golden brown on top, and jiggles only slightly in the center when you shake the pan. This takes 35 to 40 minutes. A knife inserted near the center should come out clean.

6. 6

   Rest and dust

   Remove from the oven and let it settle for five to ten minutes. The flaugnarde will deflate as it cools. This is correct. Do not mourn the loss of the puff. Dust generously with powdered sugar through a fine sieve just before serving. Bring the whole dish to the table while it is still warm.

Chef Tips

• •Seek apricots at farm stands or farmers markets in June and July. The ones shipped to supermarkets are picked hard and never develop full flavor. Ask the farmer which variety they grow and when it peaks.
• •If summer has passed, frozen apricot halves work respectably. Thaw them on a towel to absorb excess moisture before arranging in the dish. But know that you are waiting for next year's real thing.
• •A flaugnarde is best the day it is made, served warm or at room temperature. By the second day the custard weeps slightly. Make it for guests who are already on their way.

Advance Preparation

• •The batter can be made several hours ahead and refrigerated. Whisk briefly before pouring over the fruit.
• •Prepare the apricots no more than an hour before baking. Once cut, their flesh oxidizes and loses its bright color.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 170g)