Cherry clafoutis is a classic French tart made with fruit—traditionally unpitted black cherries—covered with a crêpe-like batter. It is really easy to make and light, yet flavorful. This is our family’s favorite version of the recipe, based on how my wife, Francoise, learned to make it while growing up in Metz, France.
You can substitute other seasonal fruits depending on the time of year (fresh peaches work well in the summer). This traditional cherry version uses unpitted cherries for extra flavor, but you may choose to pit them. Just do not forget to warn your guests if you leave the pits in!
Note: French bakers often use vanilla cane sugar to flavor desserts instead of vanilla extract. It is a little hard to find in U.S. grocery stores, but you can make your own in under 5 minutes. Do not skip the vanilla sugar at the end of the recipe because this adds a little something to the cherry clafoutis.
French cherry clafoutis
Recipe information
| Serves: | 6 people |
|---|---|
| Prep time: | |
| Cook time: | |
| Total time: |
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 9 tbsp sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 5 tbsp flour
- 250 ml (1.06 cups) milk
- 60 g (4.23 tbsp) butter
- 1 pound black cherries
- 1 packet (½ tbsp) vanilla cane sugar
Instructions
- Wash and remove stems from cherries (you may also wish to pit them).
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Melt half of the butter (30 g) and let it cool.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs, then add salt and sugar. Mix well.
- Sift the flour and add to the egg mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth.
- Stir in the melted butter and the milk.
- Butter a 9.5-inch baking dish. Add all the cherries and pour the batter over them.
- Evenly sprinkle tiny pieces of the remaining butter (30 g or less) on top.
- Bake for 45 minutes until the custard is set and lightly browned.
- As soon as the clafoutis comes out of the oven, evenly sprinkle the vanilla sugar on top.
- Serve at room temperature or cold.