Cherry Clafoutis

A very simple and delicious dessert.

Very easy to make and with what ever fruit you have handy. Berries, apricots, figs and of course cherries.

So easy to make but it has a few tricky bits esp in the baking process so that you need to prepare it a few times in order to know exactly how long it needs in the oven as it is easy to overbake. Even this one that I photographed here, it is slightly overbaked. As it also depends on the dish where you put it in. The thicker the dish the longer it needs to cook..

The purists say that cherries must be with the pips in in the batter. The reason behind that, is that apparently as the cherries bake there is a scent from the kernel of the pip that gives it's almondy aroma to the dessert.

To be honest I have baked it that way a few times but I was never able to tell the difference in taste. The only thing I got was bickering from the people tasting it complaining about the fact that they had to be aware of the pips..

Also I saw somewhere online a really cool picture of the dessert with all the cherries with the stems on... It looked like a forest. Really beautiful! I tried to recreate it. Do not bother. Either you have to build stands to make them stand up straight as the dessert is baking or opening the oven door all the time to straighten then up.. Lost cause..

In the recipe here that came all the way from central France there is some almond meal. Make sure you put it in and do not substitute it with anything else. just blend a few almonds, do not buy a whole pack of flour. Makes a huge difference in the taste and the texture.

And as we said, make it with other fruit as well all year long!

Diffuculty: 1 of 3

Duration:30 mins prep and 40 minutes baking

Serves:8

Ingredients

For the cherries

500g of cherries without the pits (net weight)

40g of powdered sugar

2 tblsp of cherry liquer or kirsch

For the batter

4 medium eggs

1 pinch of salt

70g of powdered sugar

1 tsp of vanilla extract or 1 drop almond extract

60g of almond flour

30 g of all purpose flour

70g of milk or half and half

For the base

1 tblsp of butter in room temperature

1 tblsp of brown sugar

Method

In a bowl we put the cherries with the powdered sugar and the liquer.

Leave them there till you prepare the batter or if you have some time leave them for a couple of hours to macerate.

In another bowl you add the eggs and salt and beat them up with a whisk. Add the sugar and beat it in as well.

Add the almond meal and flour and beat till the mixture is homogenized.

In the dish where you will cook the dessert cover the bottom and sides with the butter and sprinkle the sugar.

Place half of the batter in the dish and then add the cherries but do not throw away the juice the fruit excreted.

Add the juice in the rest of the batter, mix it all up and add it in the dish.

Bake in a preheated oven at 190 degrees fan forced for 35-40 mins or till it is cooked but a bit jiggly in the middle.

Remove from the oven and let it cool down a bit.

Serve with extra sugar if you like.