CLAFOUTIS

Traditional French Cherry Clafoutis

This is a traditional French fruit pie, a distant cousin to the American cobbler, and more directly a relative to the flans and souffles of continental Europe. Traditionally, Clafoutis is made with cherries. Use fresh cherries, not frozen or dried. The cherries are not pitted because the pits impart a delicate almond flavor to the dish. However, you can pit your cherries, and add a small bit of almond flavoring to achieve a traditional french flavor.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups Cherries (fresh) 
2 Tbsp Butter
4 Eggs
1/2 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Flour
1 cup Milk
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 tsp Almond Extract


PREPARATION

• Melt the butter in a saucepan in very low heat. Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Beat the eggs and sugar in a big bowl using a mixer.
• Add the flour slowly and continue to beat the mixture.
• Add the butter in the mixture and continue to beat.
• Add the milk slowly and continue to beat the mixture for a few more seconds.
• Using the butter that’s left in the saucepan, spread it in your oven dish.
• Wash the cherries under cold water, remove the stems. (You can remove the pits, but the original recipe calls for whole cherries.) Spread the cherries in the oven dish.
• Beat the mixture for 5 more seconds, and then spread that mixture atop the cherries.
• Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes until golden.
• Serve it warm.

Black Cherry Clafoutis

 SERVING SUGGESTIONS 
1) Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.
2) Sprinkle lightly with sugar and cinnamon... 
    1 Tbsp Caster Sugar + 1 tsp Cinnamon

VARIATIONS
You can find numerous variations of Clafoutis online with all types of fruit. Traditionally, clafoutis is made with cherries. So, in an attempt to stay as close to the traditional form, I'd suggest that any of the pitted fruit variations would fall in line with the clafoutis tradition, as they all lend themselves well to a splash of the almond flavoring. Other variations would be referred to as Flaungarde, as would fruit combination variations.

Plum Clafoutis

CHERRY Clafoutis (traditional)
PLUM Clafoutis
APRICOT Clafoutis
NECTARINE Clafoutis
PEACH Clafoutis

Other suggestions found online: 
PEAR, APPLE, FIG, BERRY

See also: Flaungarde

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 - 6

DavidLee Recipes © 2011