Sunday, dessert day, is such a French tradition – wherever you are in the hexagone.  Watch the parade of boxed, glazed gâteaux, fruit tartes and flaky tourteaux streaming from bakeries and pastry shops on Sunday mornings as the family Sunday roast  or ragout is being prepared at home.  But, I wondered, what about baking your own dessert – is that no longer done?  Climbing up the hill after a run to get bread for lunch, I fell into step with perky Mme.C. her silver hair catching glints of morning sunlight. “I’ve climbed this hill for twenty-nine years”, she confided, “and at ninety-one it is steeper than ever!” As we neared her front steps, I saw something on her window sill wrapped in a thick, checked kitchen towell:  the something smelled wonderful.  Knowing that she often baked on Sundays, I queried: ” what is today’s dessert?”  She replied pertly, “It’s a prune clafoutis – and I also made one with golden squash”.  So, simple puddings, stirred up with seasonal fruit and whatever is on hand are still a Sunday tradition in the Périgord.  With that neighborly exchange, the vagabond was inspired to bake a pear batter cake for two – usually I only make  desserts when guests are expected, but why not today?  I hope that Mme C. will catch the aromas of pears and toasted almonds as she takes her usual post prandial Sunday walk past our gate.

Abate pears, a little cocoa added to the batter in honor of the Salon du Chocolate this weekend in Paris, and almonds to insure crunch accent a variation on my favorite batter cake recipe.  This version of James Villas’ recipe is cut in two, but actually makes enough for four small servings. One abate pear, peeled and trimmed, sliced lengthwise into slivers is enough. Preheat oven to 375°f,  butter an open dish or 7″ casserole. Sift together:

1/3 cup flour (or ground almonds) with a pinch of salt + 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 cup sugar mixed with 2 T. cocoa (Dutch processed) + 1 tsp. ginger

Whisk 1 large egg, and add:

1/4 cup whole milk, 2 T. vegetable oil or melted butter + 1/2 tsp almond extract

Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients gradually and stir well. Pour into the buttered dish, arrange the trimmed pear slices evenly on top of the batter. Top with:  1 T. butter chopped into bits, then 2 T. slivered or shaved almonds and sprinkle with 1 generous T. brown sugar. Bake for 30 mintes, test with a toothpick – if it is a little gooey, bake another 8 minutes, test again. The addition of cocoa to the recipe results in a texture somewhat resembling brownies.  Serve warm or at room temperature with a drizzle of custard sauce/crème anglaise – or even a silky chocolate fudge sauce.  It’s Sunday, after all.… C’est dimanche !

James Villas’ French Country Kitchen has long been my standby for clear, authentic French recipes – and a good soupçon of regional background is dished out with each; published in 1992 by Bantam books, U.S.   The above recipe is adapted from his Tarte Picarde.