Welcome to our culinary haven, where we embark on a delightful journey into the heart of French patisserie! Today, we invite you to immerse yourself in the world of indulgence with a classic and timeless treat – the heavenly Clafoutis. Hailing from the picturesque orchards of France, this delectable dessert seamlessly marries the simplicity of ingredients with the sophistication of flavor.

Picture this: a golden-brown, tender custard cradling jewel-like fruits, baked to perfection. Our Clafoutis recipe promises not just a culinary adventure but a sensory symphony that will transport you to the charming countryside of the Limousin region, where this dessert originated. Whether you’re an accomplished home chef or a novice in the kitchen, join us as we unravel the secrets behind creating the perfect Clafoutis – a dessert that effortlessly captures the essence of French elegance and culinary artistry. Get ready to whisk, bake, and savor the magic of Clafoutis – a sweet slice of France that you can recreate in your own kitchen.

Clafoutis

Zen Chef

Clafoutis is by definition a seasonal baked desert of French origins using fresh black cherries. My Clafoutis (clafouti) recipe uses frozen cherries as these are available year round and so is no longer confined to be a seasonal desert. Clafoutis was among one of Monet's favourite deserts.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings 8

Equipment

• Pie dish, Ø of about 24 cm

Ingredients

  

• 600 g Cherries frozen, 1 bag
• 125 g Flour all purpose or pastry
• 150 g Sugar superfine
• 2 Eggs
• 100 ml Milk
• 8 g Vanilla sugar 1 sachet
• 1 tbsp Butter softened, for greasing pie dish
• 1 pinch Salt

Instructions

 

Cherries

• Thaw cherries overnight in refrigerator
• Strain cherries keeping liquid and setting aside in a small sauce pan

Batter

• Add flour to a medium sized bowl
• Add 50 grams of the sugar, the vanilla sugar and a pinch of salt, then stir to combine
• Add milk to a small bowl and break the eggs into the milk
• Scramble the eggs and milk with a fork until well blended
• Add egg and milk mixture to flour and whisk to obtain a smooth pancake like batter

Pie

• Preheat oven to 180°C
• Grease the pie dish with the butter
• Place the strained cherries into the pie dish in a single layer
• Pour the batter evenly over the cherries
• Sprinkle 50 grams of the sugar evenly over the top of the pie
• Bake for 45 minutes

Coulis

• Add the remaining 50 grams of the sugar to the sauce pan with the cherry juices
• Simmer on low heat until all the sugar is dissolved and he juices have reduced and thickened to a fairly thick syrup (think honey)
• Set aside to cool
• Drizzle artistically over servings of Clafoutis and serving dish

Notes

If cherries are in season, by all means use about 500 grams of fresh cherries with stems removed and pitted, although leaving the pits in is permissible and, according to tradition, even desirable as it is said to enhance the flavours and aromas of the Clafoutis. Alas, in that case serve this dessert with a warning and, please, no cherry pit spitting contests 🙂

In any event, use black cherries if available.

If using fresh cherries you will not have the juices to make the coulis. Of course you can always take a handful of cherries, turn them into a puree with a blender and strain out the juices to make the coulis.

Keyword cafloutis, dried cherries, easy, flan

The original source for this recipe came from the book “The Monet Cookbook – Recipes from Giverny” available from Amazon.