Author Notes: A cross between a flan and a tart, clafoutis is one of the simplest French pastries to make. Some chefs choose not to pit the cherries, because they impart a better flavor to the tart, but I don’t like having to worry about breaking my teeth while savoring dessert. The choice is up to you! This is also a nice treat for breakfast, as it’s not overly sweet the way clafoutis can often be. —lauren
Food52 Review: Whether you call it “Cla-foo-TEE,” “Cla-FOO-tee,” or even “Cla-FOO-tis” (yes, we’ve heard this last pronunciation uttered with unabashed confidence), this eggy French dessert can be tricky to get right. Lauren’s version is simple, not too sweet, and tender where others are either gooey or tough. Although we were intrigued by the idea of un-pitted cherries lending better flavor, we decided we didn’t want to worry about chipped molars and pitted ours. When cherry season is over, try this recipe with berries instead. – A&M —The Editors
Serves: about 6
Ingredients
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1/2
pound cherries, pitted
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3
eggs
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1/3
cup flour, plus extra for dusting the pan
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1/4
cup sugar
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1
cup whole milk
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1
teaspoon baking powder
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powdered sugar, for dusting the pan
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butter, for greasing the pan
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a pie pan or other round baking dish that measures at least 2” high and 9” wide. Scatter the cherries evenly about the pan.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and flour, then add the sugar and baking powder and whisk again until combined. Slowly pour in the milk and whisk until the batter is smooth. Pour over the cherries and bake until set and lightly browned, about 40 minutes. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.
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Photo by James Ransom
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After buttering the dish, Amanda floured it. It looked a touch clumpy, but we discarded the excess flour, and it was fine.
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The cherry pitter! Saves time, and it's surprisingly fun to use.
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It doesn't look like very much batter, but fear not: it puffs up beautifully.
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We started with a timer set to 30 minutes, but the recipe was spot on — exactly 40 minutes after going in, the clafoutis was ready.
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You know the clafoutis is ready when it ceases to jiggle in the center. It'll look a touch wet, but the batter won't be weepy.
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Wait for it to cool before dusting with powdered sugar, or the sugar will just melt into the clafoutis.
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Finished and beautiful!
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