Clafoutis

(pronounced kla-foo-TEE)

Clafoutis is a traditional French dessert made with unpitted cherries, but I pit them when I make it with cherries. I’ve also made this with blueberries, clementines, pears, apples, there are lots of options, my favorite, however , is raspberries. Make the batter with more or less sugar depending on your taste. You can also add flavoring to the batter such as vanilla, almond, cinnamon, rosewater, etc. it’s up to you, I like half a scraped vanilla bean with raspberries. You can cook it until it’s well brown and cakey or light and custardy depending on your taste, I like it somewhere in the middle.

Butter as needed

1/2 cup flour, more for dusting pan

3 eggs

1/2 – 3/4 cup granulated sugar

Pinch salt

3/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup milk

3 cups fruit (raspberries in this case)

Powdered sugar

Flavoring (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 10 inch round deep pie plate or porcelain dish, by smearing it with butter, just a teaspoon or so. Dust it with flour, rotating pan so flour sticks to all the butter; invert dish to get rid of excess.

In a large measuring bowl with a spout (or just a bowl, but the spout makes things easier), whisk eggs until frothy. Add granulated sugar, salt and flavoring if using, and whisk until combined. Add cream and milk and whisk until smooth. Add 1/2 cup flour and stir just to combine.

Place fruit in dish, it should come just about to the top. Pour batter over fruit to as close to top of dish as you dare; you may have a little leftover batter, depending on size of your dish. Bake for about 40-60 minutes, or until clafoutis is nicely browned on top and a knife inserted into it comes out clean. Sift some powdered sugar over it before serving. Traditionally a clafoutis is served warm or at room temperature and not to be kept longer, but I think it’s great fridge cold the next day too.

- Adam