A trip to the grocery store today provided the inspiration for this luscious dessert. For the first time I saw pichuberries in the produce department. I had no idea what they were, but I loved how beautiful they were with their delicate papery husk and bright yellow berry inside. Once I got them home I peeled the husk off to find a waxy textured fruit with little white seeds inside. They had a tart delicate flavor. I decided to pair them with blueberries in some sort of dessert. Before deciding how to use them I researched online to find out a little more about them.
You may know them by many other "adopted" names including Cape Gooseberry, Goldenberry, Ground Cherry, and Uchuva. This fruit is in no way related to the gooseberry or ground cherry. They are native to Peru, associated with the lost Incan Civilization and Machu Picchu. Who knew? The people at Pichuberry refer to them as The Lost Incan Treasure. I knew I wanted to do something special with them.
With few recipes for pichuberries available online, I looked for Cape Gooseberry recipes. The moment I saw a recipe for Cape Gooseberries Strawberry Flaugnarde, I knew where I was going with my pichuberries. A flaugnarde is a close cousin to a clafouti, minus the cherries. It is a fruited custard that forms a crust during baking. And, it is delicious.
Equipment
- 9" tart pan or pie pan
- Medium bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups pichuberries cut in half
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- ½ cup flour
- ⅔ cup sugar divided
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- Butter
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Generously butter a deep 9" pie pan or tart pan. Do not use a two-piece tart pan! The batter is too thin and it will leak out.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the milk, half the sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla extract. Using a hand held mixer, beat together until smooth and lumps are removed. Pour ⅔ of the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes.
- Toss the fruit in a bowl with the remaining ⅓ cup sugar.
- Carefully remove the pan from the oven. Evenly distribute the sugared fruit on top. Carefully pour the remaining custard over the top. (I actually used a turkey baster to do this.)
- Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 45- 50 minutes. The custard will puff up and turn golden brown. Remove from the oven when the center barely jiggles. Serve warm or cold.
Nutrition
Susan says
I have never heard of or have ever seen a Pichuberry. I have made cherry clafoutis. I like your recipe for flaugnard and will make it with mixed berries.
Mary says
They are also called cape gooseberries. They are usually available at Whole Foods. Cherry sounds good too!
Susan says
I made Flaugnarde with 2C mulberries and 1C diced strawberries. I like that some of the batter is baked to make a thick layer so the fruit doesn’t sink all the way to the bottom of the baking dish. Great recipe! Thank you very much!
Mary says
That sounds like a good version. I will try it this way too. Sometimes pichuberries are hard to find!
Betty Taylor says
I am trying new things. I need to try Pichuberries! Thanks for sharing this with us at the Four Seasons Blog Hop. I am pinning this!!
Mary says
They are good!
Remy says
Amazing pictures, and this looks intensely delicious
Jodee Weiland says
This recipe looks wonderful! I love the idea of a tart and sweet fruit together. Looks delicious...thanks for sharing!
Aleshea Dominique says
Umm, holy goergous photography... looks so yummy. Thanks for linkin' up with us at That Fresh Friday
Aimee says
This looks so beautiful. I had never heard of these either but if I find them in our market I'm going to have to give this a try! Such gorgeous photos!