A cherry clafoutis is a rustic summer dessert that sets fruit inside of a 2-inch sweet egg batter. This version is similar to traditional French clafoutis. I've added Grand Marnier because it tastes amazing with cherries.
1poundsweet black cherries (3 large handfuls)de-stemmed, pitted or not
unsalted butterfor rubbing
4largeeggs
1/2cupgranulated sugar
1/4cuplight brown sugaror substitute 1/4 cup white sugar
1cupwhole milk
1tbspGrand Marnierorange liqueur (or brandy)
2tspvanilla extract
1/8tspsalt
3/4cupall-purpose flouror almond flour to keep it gluten free
powdered sugarfor dusting
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Smear a baking dish with a generous coating of butter. For the best flavor and texture, use a dish that is about 2" deep. Set the cherries in the dish.
Crack the eggs into a medium bowl. Add sugars and use an immersion blender on medium speed to froth the eggs for 1 minute - lift up and down a bit until very bubbly.
Add milk, Grand Marnier, vanilla, and salt.
Set a strainer over the bowl and add the flour. Sift bits of flour at a time as you whisk to incorporate. This method prevents lumps from forming in your batter.
Pour the batter over the cherries so that just a tiny peak of the cherries are visible. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 350°F and continue baking until the top swells and you begin to see a golden color, 25 minutes (more or less depending on the size of the dish). Poke with a fork or toothpick. If it comes out clean, then the clafoutis center is done.
Transfer to a cooling rack for 10 minutes. It will sink a bit. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm with ice cream.
Notes
Removing Cherry Pits:Traditionally, clafoutis is made with the cherry pits baked inside the dish for an almond-like flavor. Since cherry pits can break a tooth, it's not worth the risk. You can remove cherry pits by cracking the berry in half with your fingers. There's also a pit removing gadget that makes this a bit faster.Foaming:I've developed a special technique for working with the eggs in this recipe that involves beating them with an immersion blender. You can do this step with a whisk if you don't have a blender.Straining the Flour (Sifting):This is very important. Use a strainer or sifter to dust the flour into the egg mixture. Otherwise, you will end up with loads of clumps that are near impossible to deal with using a spatula alone.Baking Dish Tips:If you have a 10" baking dish, that will accommodate this entire recipe. I like to choose a dish that will allow me to get the height I am going for: the liquid must just touch the tips of the cherries. Any shallower, and I recommend finding a smaller dish. You could also bake this cherry clafoutis in several smaller baking dishes. Check them after 20 minutes.