Cherry Clafoutis

The advantage of living with a French housemate that can actually cook is definitely so so sooo definitely  being the guinea pig. You can expect a vast array of desserts like proper tarte tatin (caramelised apple tart), quiches, more tartes, crepes and moelleux au chocolat (moist chocolate cake) for birthday celebrations and come Summer....clafoutis aux cerises. Spongy yet creamy, and bursting of fat juicy cherries....mmmm...

Grandmere Monteret's Clafoutis aux Cerises

700g pitted tinned or fresh cherries with their pits

2 eggs + 2 egg yolks

5 tablespoons (100g) flour

5 tablespoons (100g) sugar

25cl milk

60g butter

1 pinch of salt

1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Flaked almonds

1. Preheat the oven at 180-200 degrees (gas 6-7). Melt the butter. Drain and rinse the tinned cherries. If you're using fresh cherries, wash them and remove the stems, don't remove the pits. This will give the clafoutis more flavour.

2. Whisk the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla extract with an electric mixer. (Jetter la farine en pluie - I'm a little lost in translation here, help!) Basically add the flour and mix until it becomes thick and creamy. Add the melted butter and milk. Mix.

3. Pour the mixture into a buttered dish, preferably wide and square. Drop the cherries at regular intervals and sprinkle with the almonds. Press gently the almonds with the back of a spoon to "sink" the fruit into the mixture.

4. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold with a dollop of creme fraiche.

Note: You can also use other tinned fruit to make clafoutis: pears, peaches, prunes, quetsches, any fruit!

Anyways...remember that Life is short, Eat!