TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Clafoutis aux CerisesCherry Clafoutis
An early-summer home-baked sweet from Limousin, with cherries submerged in crêpe-like batter. Traditionally they are baked unpitted, allowing an almond-like scent from around the stones to infuse the batter. Simple mixing, pouring and baking still demand judgment of fruit ripeness and doneness. An unadorned dish brought to the table in its baking dish.
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Ingredients (4 servings)
- Sweet cherriesRemove stems. Traditionally left unpitted, as an almond-like aroma comes from around the stones.400 g
- Eggs3 pieces
- Whole milk250 ml
- Cake flourSift before adding.60 g
- Granulated sugar80 g
- Salt1 pinch
- Unsalted butter for the dishSpread over the inside of the baking dish.15 g
- Powdered sugarSift over the finished dish through a tea strainer.10 g
Method
Prepare the dish and cherries
- 1 MeanwhileMeanwhile, as the oven preheats:
- 2 Start preheating the oven to 180°C.
- 3 Butter the inside of a 22–24 cm ovenproof dish with 15 g butter.
Ready when
Wash 400 g sweet cherries and remove their stems, leaving the stones in. Their almond-like aroma infuses the batter, creating the traditional flavor.
Make the batter
- 1 Mix 3 eggs, 80 g granulated sugar and 1 pinch salt in a bowl without whipping air into them.
- 2 Sift in 60 g cake flour and mix until no dry flour remains.
- 3 Gradually add 250 ml milk to loosen. It is ready when smooth and lump-free, with the consistency of a thin, gently flowing crêpe batter.
Arrange the cherries and bake
- 1 Arrange the cherries across the dish and gently pour over the batter, or appareil, the liquid egg mixture.
- 2 Bake at 180°C for 35–40 minutes.
- 3 It is done when the whole surface has puffed, the edges are golden and a bamboo skewer inserted in the center comes out without raw batter.
Cool slightly and dust with sugar
- 1 Let the initial heat dissipate in the baking dish, then sift 10 g powdered sugar over the whole surface through a tea strainer just before eating.
- 2 A slight dip in the center as it cools is normal.
Ready when
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips
Since the cherries were baked unpitted, tell guests about the stones before serving.
About this dish
Limousin in central France is an agricultural region of gentle hills, pasture and fruit trees. When cherries ripen dark from May to July, families here bake clafoutis. Its name is thought to derive from the Occitan clafir, to fill, directly describing the method of filling a dish with fruit and pouring batter over it.
Originally a farmhouse sweet, it was simply freshly picked cherries covered in crêpe-like batter and baked. Traditionally the stones are left in: their faint almond-like aroma perfumes the batter and is considered part of the flavor.
Today it is an early-summer staple across France, announcing the season in bakeries and on family tables. Bringing it to the table in its baking dish and sharing it while warm is the way Limousin households have passed down.
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