When we went berry picking for those raspberries, we also picked sour cherries. Half the fun was moving the giant ladders and scrambling up them to try to get those elusive cherries at the top of the trees. We filled up a nice little bag of cherries, just enough for this clafouti and a pot of jam.
A clafouti falls somewhere between a pudding and a cake. It is very moist, but firm enough to slice. The traditional French way to make cherry clafouti is to leave the pits in and let the eaters remove them as they eat. One theory is that it adds more flavor, but I have felt reluctant to put my guests through the awkwardness of having to spit them out at the table. Maybe we'll give it a try when it's just the five of us, or when we're outside and can have a pit spitting contest.
Besides, the pit removal is an excuse to sit down for a while. When we made this clafouti most recently, we removed the pits while watching the U.S. women's soccer team play (and defeat!) Brazil, a very pleasant way to spend the time. Those women soccer players are in amazing shape. Maybe in my next life. . .
Second Helping: Vietnamese Cucumber Salad (excellent picnic food)
Thirds: Vegetarian Sloppy Joe's (still one of our favorite quick meals)
If you can't find sour cherries, sweet cherries would also work in this recipe, as would another seasonal fruit like blueberries or raspberries.
Serves 8
45 minutes preparation time
35-45 minutes baking time
1 pound sour cherries (about 3 cups before pitting), pits removed
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
confectioners' sugar for serving
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch pie plate or 2-quart baking pan.
Toss the cherries with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Layer them in the bottom of the baking pan.
Combine the remaining sugar, eggs, salt, extracts, flour, milk and butter in a blender and blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour the batter over the cherries.
Bake until the clafouti is puffed and golden brown, and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the clafouti still in the pan to a cooling rack to cool. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature. Just before serving, add a sprinkle of confectioners' sugar.
Yum!!! My favorite fruit.
Posted by: Laura | July 16, 2011 at 09:51 AM
I've always been torn about removing the pits as well...and always cave and remove them!
Posted by: Andrea | August 05, 2011 at 10:19 PM