Readers of our December issue, which featured a delicious-looking apple pecan dish presented in a cast iron skillet made by Lodge Manufacturing Co. have been asking for the recipe. Well, Lodge has shared that recipe with us, and we'll pass it on to you. Enjoy!

From Lodge: 

"For Tanya Holland, cookbook author and chef-owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen in Oakland, California, this dish is a celebration of her Southern heritage and early cooking school experience. 'My paternal grandmother in Virginia always fried apples in a cast iron skillet to serve with breakfast. My maternal grandmother in Louisiana always toasted pecans in her pan. Cherry clafloutis was one of the first ‘exotic’ desserts I made when I was taking cooking classes at Peter Kump’s New York Cooking School…at twenty-three, I felt so sophisticated just being able to pronounce it!'

Tanya likes this recipe because it makes a great breakfast dish or after-dinner dessert, not to mention afternoon snack. If you’re serving it as a dessert, don’t forget to top each portion with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream."

Serves 6 to 8

3/4 cup pecan pieces

1 1/2 pounds firm, semi-sweet apples, like Fiji or Pink Lady

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1 tablespoon apple brandy

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Pulse the pecans in a food processor until finely chopped; be careful not to process into a powder. Set aside.

2. Peel and core the apples. Slice the apples in half, then cut each half into 1/8-inch-thick half moons.

3. Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat; add the butter. When melted, swirl to coat the bottom. Add the apples, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the cinnamon and cook until the apples soften, about 10 minutes, stirring a few times.

3. While the apples cook, whisk the eggs, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, the milk, brandy, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the pecans and salt, then slowly whisk in the flour to avoid lumps. Pour the batter over the apples in the pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 375°, then reduce the oven temperature to 350° and cook until the clafoutis is nicely puffed up and browned on top, another 35 minutes. Serve immediately.