It's The Berries (And Cherries)

The Season Is Ripe With Juicy Sweetness

(CBS)  Cherry Clafoutis

Cherry clafoutis is a classic French dessert. Clafoutis originally hails from the Limousin region. It is made by topping a layer of fresh fruit with batter. After baking, it is served hot, sometimes with cream.

Some clafoutis have a cakelike topping, while others are more like pudding. It is simply fresh cherries baked in a light batter, very similar to a souffle. It's a great thing to do with cherries because you don't have to pit as many cherries as you do for a pie and it is so simple to prepare.

Although traditional clafoutis is made with unpitted whole cherries, said to add extra cherry flavor, this luscious pit-free version does not lack for flavor but is a little easier to eat.

Ingredients:
Serves 6 to 8

3/4 lb. sweet cherries, pitted and halved
3 Tbs. dark rum
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream

Method:
Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a shallow 9-by-14-inch baking dish with a 2-quart capacity and dust with sugar. Tap out any excess.

In a small bowl, toss together the cherries and rum and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the eggs and whisk until the batter is smooth. Slowly pour in the cream, whisking constantly. Stir the cherries and their juices into the batter until just blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until puffed and golden, 33 to 35 minutes.

Serve the clafoutis hot and puffed, or transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature before serving. It will deflate as it cools but will still be delicious.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Dessert, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Simon & Schuster, 2002).

Individual Cherry Clafoutis

Here, we use a silicone baking mold to create individual desserts that taste as delicious as the classic version. They make an impressive presentation for a dinner party or buffet.

Ingredients
Makes 6 clafoutis

2 Tbs. blanched almonds, toasted
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds reserved
6 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
1/2 Tbs. kirsch
24 canned cherries, drained, or pitted fresh cherries

Method:

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 6-well silicone demi-sphere baking mold and place on a baking sheet.

In a food processor, process the almonds until finely ground. Add the vanilla bean seeds, sugar, flour, eggs, milk, cream and kirsch and pulse until just blended.

Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.

Divide the cherries among the prepared wells. Pour the batter over the cherries, dividing evenly, and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 35 minutes.

Immediately invert the mold onto a wire rack and remove the clafoutis, using a toothpick to gently loosen them, if needed. Let cool for 30 minutes before serving.

Hubert Keller, Chef/Owner, Fleur de Lys Restaurant, San Francisco.