Clafoutis is a classic French dessert that’s perfect for using up summer fruit, it is traditionally made with unpitted cherries and custard. The Cherry Clafoutis is baked until golden and the cherries appear as little mounds in the custard. Serve Cherry Clafoutis warm, dusted with icing sugar.
“I prefer not to pit the cherries when making a tart, as the stone helps keep the shape and flavour of the fruit intact.”
Cherry Clafoutis Recipe
Ingredients:
500g fresh dark cherries
1 tbsp castor sugar
2 tbsp kirsch
butter, for baking
icing sugar, for dusting
Custard
2 large eggs
1/4 cup castor sugar
1/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
1/2 cup cream
grated rind of 1 lemon
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Place the cherries in a shallow baking dish and sprinkle the castor sugar and kirsch over them. Bake for 5-6 minutes or until the cherries are cooked but still firm. Set the cherries aside and reserve the cooking juices.
For the custard, beat the eggs in an electric mixer, then add the castor sugar and beat until frothy. Carefully add the flour and combine, then add 1 tbsp of the reserved cherry cooking juices, the creme fraiche, cream and lemon rind.
Dot a gratin or small baking dish with a little butter (I use a 30cm oval copper baking dish), then spread half the custard over the base of the dish. Spoon in the cooked cherries to cover the custard, then add the remaining custard. Bake for 25-30 minutes; the top will be golden and the cherries will appear as little mounds in the custard.
Serve warm, dusted with icing sugar.
Recipe from “Maggie Beer’s Summer Harvest Recipes” by Maggie Beer, published by Penguin.
