Cherry Clafoutis is a well-known french spring-time pudding. It is a quick stand-by home-cooked dessert, equivalent perhaps to the apple crumble in anglophone cookery. It’s traditional to leave the stones in the cherries — they add a bitter, almond-y flavour during cooking. Best to point this out before serving to your friends & family…
185ml / ¾ cup thick cream
1 vanilla pod
125ml / ½ cup milk
3 eggs
55g / ¼ cup caster sugar
85g / ⅔ cup plain flour
1 tbsp kirsch
450g / 1 lb cherries
icing sugar to dust
Serves 6
Preheat oven to 180∘C (350∘F / Gas 4). Put the cream in a small saucepan. Split the vanilla pod & scrape out the seeds, add to the cream. Heat gently for a couple of minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the milk and cool. Strain to remove the vanilla pod. Whisk the eggs with the sugar and flour, then stir into the cream. Add the kirsch and cherries, stir well. Pour into a 23cm /9″ baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden on top. Dust with icing sugar to finish and a dollop of crème fraîche on the side.
