Cherry clafoutis is another iconic version of the French pear clafoutis. There are many ways to make it, but here I'll share a simple version — true to the theme of Return to the Table, easy without sacrificing quality or flavor.
A clafoutis is made by pouring a sweet batter over fruit. It's simple to make and absolutely delicious — but those are just two reasons to add a clafoutis to your recipe repertoire.
What I love most about clafoutis is the endless variations — you can put just about anything in them! They're wholesome and family-friendly, and they make a satisfying third course. They're also perfect when you don't have much planned for dinner, since you can whip one up with minimal effort. Plus, they're impressive for entertaining or summer picnics.
To prepare the batter, simply mix eggs, milk, cream, a few tablespoons of flour, and some sugar. Then pour the batter over the fruit and bake. I have a few tips after the recipe to make them even easier to prepare.
You might also be interested in this post about why the French and Italians don't serve milk with dinner but instead, a calcium-rich third course.
1 pint of fresh cherries — pits removed
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
3/4 cup cream
3 eggs
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 to 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional: Powdered sugar for dusting
Heat the oven to 350° F.
Butter a 9- to 10-inch baking dish, then dust it with sugar (optional step; see the notes below).
Add the flour and whisk until well combined and the lumps have dissolved.
Put the eggs, milk, cream, and vanilla in a bowl and whisk.
Pit the cherries and place them in the baking dish. It's convenient to use a cherry pitter to remove the pits.
Pour the batter over the cherries. Push the fruit around to distribute it evenly.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until firm and golden on top.
Optional: Dust the top with about a tablespoon of powdered sugar. It's convenient to use a small sieve to sprinkle the sugar.
Serve the clafoutis warm or at room temperature. To warm leftovers, cover with foil to keep the clafoutis moist.
Preparing the baking dish with butter and sugar prevents the clafoutis from sticking to the dish. However, I often skip this step to save time, and it's fine!
Make the clafoutis batter ahead of time and store it in the fridge to use later. It saves you a step when it's time to make dinner, and the batter is better after it sits for a while — the lumps will dissolve.
This recipe produces a light and custard-like result. Some prefer clafoutis that are denser and more cake-like. To try this, use a little more flour (1/3 cup instead of 3 tablespoons).
A cherry pitter is a useful tool to have to remove cherry pits as well as olive pits.
You may also enjoy experimenting with a few drops of orange blossom water in your clafoutis batter.
Mixed Fruit — made with what I had on hand.
You can put just about anything in a clafoutis.
