Cherry Clafouti (Cherry Pudding Cake)

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.

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Cherry Clafouti (Cherry Pudding Cake)

1 tablespoon butter
4 eggs
1 cup sugar, divided
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ 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).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an ovenproof dish, deep dish pie plate, or c ast-iron pan (at least 1 ½-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.