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Our very warm spring means that this is a G-R-E-A-T year for cherries and we have been picking and cooking and baking!
Le clafoutis (pronounced klafooty) is one of France’s most traditional and timeless family desserts. I had always liked clafoutis, but when I found this recipe by Alain Ducasse I immediately became a fan! Instead of the traditional and rather heavy batter mix, he mixes an almond cream with a crème patissière – and how could that be a bad idea?!
So if you want to add a particularly French touch to your next family lunch or dinner, here’s one way to go.
Pick a basket of cherries, preferably a variety that is slightly acid in taste. If you wish you can wash them, but make sure they are dried well after. If you are feeling like a saint you can pit them, I personally feel that life is too short for that, so I use the cherries whole and warn my guests when serving, assuring them at the same time that the cherry stones add a particularly wonderful flavour to the dessert …..
Cover the base of your favourite oven proof tart mould with the cherries.
Make the crème patissière by whisking together 100 grams (less than 1 cup) of sugar, a teaspoon full of cornflour and 3/4 egg yolks. Heat 25cl milk and , once it has boiled, pour the milk over the sugar and egg yolk mix. Beat well then return to the pan, stirring over a gently heat until the crème begins to thicken.
Separately mix together in a mixer 100 g 3/4 cup of ground almonds, 100 g butter 1/2 cup and 100 of sugar, plus a teaspoon of cornflour and an egg. (sorry I forgot to take pictures of these steps – there was a lot going on at the time!)
When everything is well mixed then pour the crème patissière over the almond cream and blend together thoroughly. Pour over the cherries and pop into the oven AT 180°.
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About 30 minutes later you can remove the clafoutis from the oven and it will look a lot like this. It’s not the easiest dessert to serve in clean slices but I promise that improves as it cools.
Bon appetit!
14 comments
This looks delicious and easy too. My favorite combo!
– The Tablescaper
They look like what we call sour Cherries. Mine are still small and green but I will save this delicious dessert for next month. Thank you for sharing.
Sounds delicious…a wonderful Summer treat.
Que c'est delicieux! There must be as many recipes for clafoutis as there are cherry varieties. This one sounds delectable. I'll be marking this to try once the cherry season begins here.
Delicious – thank you so much for the clear and concise instructions. I shall make once the cherries are ripe here.
Merci
Helen
Mmmm- wish you were closer! I'll have to try this!
This past week I purchased my first French cuisine cookbook and I remember seeing a clafoutis recipe.
This looks delicious. What was the oven temp?
This is one of my favorite desserts. I've made it with pears and apples, never cherries, yummy.
Karen at Garden, Home and Party
1) It's a bugger I just gobbled down the whole kilo of cherries I bought today.
2) I have a new oven as of yesterday… This is definitely on the cards for next week!
Merci beaucoup for the recipe
xxx
Thank You Sharon for this delectable clafouti recipe – it looks divine!
I am so in love with your blog, you do it so wonderful !!
Aina
Lovely recipe! By "corn flour" do you actually mean "CORN STARCH"? And could you re-affirm the baking temp for us American cooks, please? 180 degrees seems kinda low for USA ovens. Many thanks for sharing!
Looks wonderful, quick question; do you pit the cherries?
I bought your book ‘My French Country Home’ for my daughter’s 18th birthday and backed with her your receipe Cherry Clafouts and a complete disaster because you have not written the receipe accurately. It is very different from the receipe above, in the Creme Patissiere the sugar is missing (is it white or brown sugar) etc, the word that should have been used is whisking and not beat the egg yolks or even just heating gently the egg mixture ( this allows the egg to curdle if you do not continuley whisk it ). Really disapointing for an expensive book.
The photo looked wonderful and we were so looking forward to sharing it with our friends.
I wonder if the other receipes are as incorrect?????