Cherry Clafoutis (spelled: cla-foo-tee) is a baked French dessert of fruit, traditionally black cherries, arranged in a buttered dish and covered with a thick flan-like batter. Clafoutis is served dusted with confectioners’ sugar and lukewarm. I like mine topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
A traditional clafoutis is made with whole – unpitted – cherries. It prevents the clafoutis from getting soggy and, as a nice side effect, the cherry kernels add a nutty flavor to the dessert.
Cherry Clafoutis
Course: DessertCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Simple12
servings25
minutes60
minutesA French specialty. Too easy not to try and so delicious!
Ingredients
500 g / 1.1 lbs black cherries
1/2 vanilla bean
4 large eggs
100 g / 3.5 oz sugar
6 tablespoons plain flour
150 g / 5.3 oz crème fraîche
100 ml / 3.4 fl oz milk
6 tablespoons almond flour
3 tablespoons cherry brandy (optional)
30 g / 1.1 oz butter
confectioners’ sugar for dusting
- Equipment
a round pie baking pan 28cm / 11-inch Ø
Method
- Preheat the oven to 355F / 180C. Rinse the cherries and let them drip off. Remove the stems. Don’t pit the cherries, otherwise, they release juice, and the clafoutis will be soggy. Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, place together with the eggs in a mixing bowl, and whisk with a hand whisk. Add sugar and continue whisking until frothy. Gradually add the flour and stir thoroughly. Stir in first the crème fraîche, then milk, and finally almond flour. If you like, stir in cherry brandy.
- Butter the baking pan and evenly spread the cherries in it. Melt the remaining butter and stir into the batter. Pour the batter over the cherries and lightly shake the pan. Bake on the middle rack for 60 – 70 minutes, until golden brown. If necessary, cover with baking parchment towards the end of the baking time if the surface browns too quickly. Make the toothpick test before removing it from the oven.
