Clafoutis is a French dessert that specifically refers to a baked custard with cherries and no crust. Of course, you can use other fruit instead of cherries - such as yellow & white peaches, apricots, raspberries and blueberries…but then, it’s not officially called a clafoutis! I don’t really care about such formalities (even if I can respect them), so today I made this recipe with some raspberries from our garden and Brugnon peaches (a flat white variety). “Clafoutis” can be served slightly warm, at room temperature or cold. It gets denser if served cold, but on hot summer days, this is really the best way to eat it, in my opinion! I like to serve clafoutis with a red fruit coulis to offset the richness. This can be prepared in ceramic pie pan, a glass rectangular pan, or any shape really….I would just avoid using thin metal pans because they don’t transmit heat well. One other comment: the French tradition is to bake clafoutis with un-pitted and un-stemmed cherries – to add more flavor to the dessert. Go ahead and try if you like…I personally prefer to eat it the convenient way, with no stems and no pits! Adding slivered almonds and sprinkling powdered sugar is a nice finishing touch.
Ingredients – for 6-8 people (or a 22” round pie pan)
Batter
110g flour (3.9 oz)
3 g salt (0.1 oz)
50g sugar (1.8 oz) – can be cassonade (light brown sugar)
Another 50g sugar (1.8 oz)
3 eggs, mixed slightly
350g milk (12.3 oz), whole milk preferably
Shaved almonds, quantity desired (for decorating the top)
Optional additions: a shot of Kirsch (cherry brandy), vanilla extract, extra “cerises griottes” which are brandy-soaked and preserved cherries – yum!)
Other Ingredients:
About 600g (21 oz) cherries, pitted or other fruit of choice
Butter & additional sugar for the pan – quantity needed.
- Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F).
- Clean & pit fruit. Place prepared fruit into a large bowl (whole). Sprinkle 50g of sugar over it to let it macerate (release the fruit juices). Set aside while you prepare the rest of the dessert - at least 30 minutes is preferred but not absolutely necessary.
- Prepare pie pan. Generously coat pie plate with butter, using a pastry brush or go ahead and use your fingers like my Grandma did, if your hands are clean! Sprinkle the buttered pan with sugar until all surfaces are coated. Remove excess sugar and store pan in refrigerator until needed.
- Make the batter. Weigh flour, salt & sugar together in large bowl & mix. Make a well in the bottom of the bowl. Add eggs to well; mix with a whisk. Add some of the milk & whisk together. Gradually add in the flour a little at a time until blended. Add more milk to the wet batter during this process until all is added. Try to avoid clumps.
- Place fruit on bottom of pie pan. Pour batter on top. Bake in oven for about 50 minutes depending on pan size and until golden on top. It should be set enough. It’ll continue to set as as it cools. Top with shaved almonds the last 10 minutes in the oven. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.