Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Cherry Clafoutis



I adore cherries. As a little girl, I used to hang double stalked cherries off my ears to look like earrings. Cherries also meant Christmas when we were kids (imported cherries were unheard of, so fresh cherries were only available in the summer). Cherry printed fabric and cherry motifs in jewellery still appeal to me today. And who can resist the juicy, sweet taste of fresh cherries? I also have to confess that I love the Cherry Ripe, an Australian chocolate bar originally produced by MacRobertson which, despite its name, doesn't actually contain any real cherries, and which many non-Australians loathe. (For the uninitiated, it is glace cherries and pink-dyed coconut in Old Gold chocolate.)


Recently, cherries imported from the US were on sale for $10 a kilo. That is ultra cheap for cherries here, which even in summer retail at around $16 a kilo. I bought nearly a whole kilo and ate half of them, and saved the other half to make something. The biggest issue I faced was - what to make?



In the end, I settled on this
cherry clafoutis recipe that I found at Steph's A Whisk and a Spoon. It appealed to me because it only contains basic ingredients and seemed simple enough to make, even without a blender. I've never tasted clafoutis before, but I'd certainly make it again. If you make this, I urge you to use the booze in the recipe - I used Kirsch, and it sets off the cherries in the finished dessert beautifully.


My clafoutis has all the cherries to one side because my pan didn't sit comfortably on the baking sheet, and the cherries slid towards the downwards-tilting side of the pan. Regardless, it was delicious, especially with a small scoop of vanilla icecream on top served while still warm.



If you have any cherries to use up, I highly recommend this recipe - it is quick to make and delicious. Also, all the fat comes from the eggs (I used skim milk, so no fat there either), which in my books makes it a lot less "sinful" than many other desserts. Go on - give it a go!

18 comments:

Gloria Baker said...

Dear Cakelaw I adore cherries too! This Clafoutis look really delicious! gloria

Nutmeg Nanny said...

This looks great! With cherries on sale I can see using this recipe :)

Anna Johnston said...

You gotta have the booze with Cherries I agree, top it off with rich creamy vanilla icecream , especially if the cherries are still warm. Great recipe. Thanks :)

Lorraine @NotQuiteNigella said...

I felt the same way about cherries! I loved wearing them as earrings and when you got a double cherry that was like winning the lottery! :P

foodcreate said...

This a a fabulous dish thank you for sharing your recipe :)

The Blonde Duck said...

I've always wondered about cherry clafoutis. My mom loves cherry pie so I bet she'd adore this.

steph- whisk/spoon said...

glad you gave the recipe a try. i'd like a piece with extra cherries! yes, always use booze is my motto!

Nadji said...

Le clafoutis aux cerises est un classique de la cuisine française et il est toujours délicieux.
Je découvre ton blog. Des recettes gourmandes.
Je reviendrai.
See soon.

Cakelaw said...

Thanks Gloria.

Hi Brandy, absolutely - it's a great recipe, simple but delicious.

Hi Anna, I was surprised at what a difference the Kirsch made - I am now temptedto use it with cherries in everything!

LOL Lorraine - absolutely ;)

Thanks foodcreate.

Hi Duckie, this is not as rich as cherry pie because there is no butter, but the simple custardy batter lets the cherries shine. (I also like this cold!)

Thanks for the recipe - Steph - it's a goodie!

Nadji, Merci pour votre commentaire nature. Je suis heureux que vous avez aimé mon blog, et nous nous réjouissons de vous voir bientôt.

Honey @ honeyandsoy said...

Oooh cherries! I can't wait for summer and cherry season- how awesome that you got these for $10 a kilo! I've made clafoutis once before and found the taste a little too 'eggy'. But after seeing your recipe, I might just have to give it another try...

Cakelaw said...

Hi Honey, I will confess to liking eggy desserts - this kind of reminded me of a thick soft pancake studded with cherries.

Conor @ Hold the Beef said...

Oh man, I haven't come across any cherries for sale over here and this is torturous to look it! Too good!

Glad to hear others do the cherry earring too :) Oh and Cherry Ripes do have actual cherries in them, but I think the % of cherry in a Cherry Ripe leaves a bit to be desired! Doesn't stop me from chomping them though :D

Anonymous said...

I haven't have Clafoutis for ages. Yours look so tempting... I may bake it soon :)

Jess said...

I just saw some cherries in the fruit store today for the first time in ages (I never remember fruit seasons, so I had to do some Googling when I got home to find out that these are unseasonal, as good as they looked) and it reminded me of how much I've been wanting to make cherry clafoutis and have simply been waiting for some cherries to turn up. Might have to give this recipe a go!

Anna said...

I've had cherry clafoutis on my "to try" list for years, but I just haven't gotten around to making it. Maybe I'll try your recipe this week while cherry prices are still reasonable. Right now they're about $2.99 a pound here.

The Caked Crusader said...

I think the cherries have made themselves into a big smile, because they're so happy to be part of such a yummy dish!

SteelCityFlan said...

I've never had a clafoutis before, but I've heard it's like a fat, fluffy pancake. Which sounds nummy :) This looks delightful. And I totally used to do the cherries-as-earrings thing too.

Jill said...

Wow, you really have me in the mood for cherries now! I don't think I've ever baked a cherry dessert with fresh cherries.