Cherry Clafoutis

It's cherry harvesting time and farmers' market, super markets or small grocery stores are overflowing with  summer's bounty of fresh cherries, variety of berries and stone fruits. As cherry season is short we simply enjoy a bowl of sweet cherries, I bake tart "Cheesecake Tart With Cherry Topping" or pie and make cherry lemonade to cool down in the summer heat. This week I made a mildly sweet dessert, Cherry Clafoutis(pronounced "clafootee") which is a dense custard from Limousine region of France.

French desserts always sound very fancy but most of them are very easy to follow with simple pantry ingredients. Clafoutis comes from the verb "clafir, meaning" "to fill". Traditionally it is made with unpitted cherries so pits release almond flavor during baking. But I pitted and halved the cherries because it's easy to eat.

Cherry Clafoutis batter is more like pancake batter containing some flour, eggs, sugar, almond or vanilla flavor and milk or cream. Then poured over fresh cherries, baked in the oven. Use blackish red firm Bing cherries with their stem attached. Clafoutis can be served as breakfast and dessert. For richer taste use half n half or cream.

Special equipment~
8 or 9 inch shallow ceramic/glass/cast iron pan
1 medium bowl
1 metal whisk

Ingredients~
3/4 lb. Bing cherries,pitted and halved
1/2 cup plain flour, sifted
1/4 cup sugar or to taste
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup whole milk,cream or half n half 
2 tbsp. powdered sugar for dusting
1 tsp.melted butter,unsalted
2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
1 tsp. lemon zest

Method~
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 8 or 9 inch ceramic, glass or cast iron pan with melted butter. Place cherries in a single layer into the dish. Whisk together eggs, milk or half n half, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla or almond extract in a medium bowl. Add in flour and whisk until smooth. Pour batter over the cherries and bake for 35-40 minutes until puffs up and top is golden. Remove from the oven and let it cool for a while. Clafoutis will deflate as it cools. Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve lukewarm or room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!!