Classic Clafoutis Recipe: A Traditional French Cherry Dessert from Limousin

This delicious French Cherry Clafoutis recipe is from Ginette Mathiot’s new cookbook, Classic French Recipes.

Clafoutis is a pudding from the region of Limousin, in south-central France, but variants exist in neighboring regions. There is a debate in France on whether to pit (stone) the fruit or not: some say it’s best not to because the stones yield a lot of extra taste and the cherry juices won’t be lost in the pudding; but it’s easier to eat the dish without. Clafoutis batter is a little like a pancake batter, which is poured over fruit and then baked. Cherries are the most classic flavor, but other fruits work well too, such as Mirabelle prunes, raspberries, or pan-fried slices of apples.

Ingredients

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/Gas Mark 6 and butter an ovenproof dish.
2. Mix the flour with the eggs and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
3. Add a little of the milk and beat into the batter until light and smooth. Add the remaining milk, a little at a time, beating between additions until the batter falls like a ribbon from the spoon, like crêpe batter.
4. Stir the cherries and kirsch into the batter. Pour into the prepared dish and bake for 35 minutes until set and top is golden brown.
5. Remove from the oven, then sprinkle with the sugar. Serve warm or cold.