Cherry clafoutis

A classic dessert from the French region of Limousin: dark cherries in a simple batter somewhere between pancake and custard. Served warm, straight from the baking dish, this is a pure, homely pudding.

Serves: 4–6
Preparation: 10 min
Cooking: 40 min
Total time: 50 min

Ingredients

• 350 g fresh cherries (preferably with stones)
• 3 eggs
• 100 g caster sugar
• 1 sachet vanilla sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 80 g plain flour
• 250 ml whole milk
• 25 g butter (plus extra for greasing)
• Icing sugar, to taste, for finishing

Preparation

• Preheat the oven to 180 °C (conventional heat).
• Generously grease the baking dish with butter.
• Briefly rinse the cherries under cold water, remove the stalks and then pat them dry with kitchen paper. Leave the stones in for the classic version.

Method

1. Melt the 25 g butter over a low heat or in the microwave and let it cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the caster sugar, vanilla sugar and a pinch of salt until the mixture is lightly frothy.
3. Sift the flour into the bowl and whisk until you have a smooth batter with no lumps.
4. Gradually add the milk, whisking, until a thin, smooth batter forms.
5. Finally, stir the melted, slightly cooled butter into the batter.
6. Arrange the cherries in a single layer on the bottom of the greased baking dish.
7. Carefully pour the batter over the cherries.
8. Bake the clafoutis for 35–40 minutes in the middle of the oven, until the top is golden brown and the centre feels just set (a skewer inserted into the centre may be very slightly moist, but not wet).
9. Remove the clafoutis from the oven and let it rest for 10–15 minutes, so the texture can set.
10. Lightly dust with icing sugar just before serving.
11. Serve the clafoutis warm, straight from the dish. The dessert is complete as it is, but if you like, you can add a spoonful of crème fraîche on the side.