Clafouti (kla-foo-TEE) is a traditional dessert from the Limousin region of France during the peak cherry
season and is often served as a breakfast dish. In France, the dish is often made without pitting the cherries because the pits are thought
to enhance the flavor of the batter with a perfume faintly reminiscent of almonds. Whole cherries are also less likely to bleed
into the batter.
This is an easy-to-make
dessert using fruit suspended in a batter similar to that used for crepes.
Substitute a pound of pitted plums, peaches, berries, sliced apples or any other
fresh fruit, if you wish. A clafouti is often served as a breakfast dish.
Check out the
Basic Rules For Baking or here for
Secrets Of A Successful Cake. Also check out more great
Cake Recipes and
Cast-Iron Cooking Recipes.
Cherry Clafouti (Cherry Pudding Cake)
Recipe Type:
Cake,
Cherries,
Dessert,
Brunch and Breakfast
Yields: 1 cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
4
eggs
1 cup granulated
sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon brandy*
1 cup all-purpose
flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 pound stoned/pitted cherries**
Powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar), for dusting
* I like to substitute Amaretto
liqueur because of it's almond flavor.
**Use fresh black, sweet cherries in season. Otherwise, use drained, canned, pitted Bing cherries or
frozen cherries (thawed and drained).
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an ovenproof dish, deep dish pie plate, or
cast iron skillet (at least 1 1/2-inches deep).
Place eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, brandy, flour, and milk in a blender: puree till smooth.
In a mixing bowl, toss the cherries with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Place three-quarters of
the cherries and their juices in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the batter over the fruit; arrange the remaining cherries on top.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is brown and a knife inserted into the middle of the dish comes out clean. Remove from the oven
and cool for 5 minutes before serving (cake will sink slightly). Sprinkle with powdered
sugar over the top with a sieve. Serve the Cherry Clafouti warm.
Yield: about 6 to 8 servings.
Variations: Substitute other seasonal fruit
(pears, apples, berries, plums) for the cherries if you like. When using very juicy
fruit, increase the amount of flour in the recipe to from 2/3 to 1 1/4 cups.
