Cherry Clafoutis
- Servings: 4 with leftovers
This recipe is from Fruit: Recipes That Celebrate Nature by Bernadette Wörndl, with photography by Gunda Dittrich (Smith Street Books, © 2018, hardcover, 240 pages, 110 color photographs, $35).
Wörndl writes in the recipe's headnote:
"Traditional, simple and good. At the peak of the fruit season, there's nothing more quick and simple than this sweet pudding. For the cherry stones to impart their almond-like flavour, the stones should not, or rather must not, be removed from the cherries. Just remember to point this out to your guests before serving!"
Ingredients
- Butter, for greasing
- 120 g (4½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
- 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) milk
- Scraped seeds of ½ vanilla bean
- Pinch of salt
- 3 eggs
- 50 g (1¾ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 teaspoon cherry schnapps or orange-flavoured liqueur
- 250–300 g (9–10½ oz) cherries
- 50 g (1¾ oz) icing (confectioners’) sugar
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) (conventional). Grease an ovenproof dish with butter and sprinkle with the extra sugar.
- Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla seeds and salt in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until the sugar is dissolved but the mixture is not yet boiling. Mix one of the eggs with the flour in a bowl until smooth. Add the remaining eggs and mix again until smooth. Stirring constantly, slowly add the egg and flour mixture to the hot milk. Add the cherry schnapps or orange liqueur, then pour the batter into the prepared dish. Press the cherries into the batter.
- Bake the clafoutis for 30–35 minutes until golden brown, then remove from the oven and sprinkle with the icing sugar. Switch the oven to the grill (broiler) and heat to 250°C (480°F). Return the clafoutis to the highest shelf and caramelise the top for 5–8 minutes.
- Allow to cool slightly; it is best enjoyed warm.
