Clafoutis
Clafoutis is a rustic dessert from the Limousin region of France, where plump ripe cherries are nestled in an egg and milk batter and baked until puffed. Its texture falls somewhere between a flan and a thick pancake: soft and moist, fragrant with vanilla and bright with the sweet-tart flavor of the fruit. It is very easy to make, needing just one baking dish and less than an hour.
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Rising or chilling
- 20 min
- Total time
- 1 hr 15 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
Preparing the baking dish
Fruit
Egg and milk batter
Dusting
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius, brush a thin layer of butter all over the inside of a baking dish, then sprinkle in 15 g granulated sugar and tilt the dish so the sugar coats it evenly. The butter and sugar keep the clafoutis from sticking and give it a slightly crisp, sweet edge. The dish is ready when the whole bottom and sides are covered in a sparkling layer of sugar.
Step 2
Wash, pat dry and stem 450 g pitted cherries, then arrange them in a single even layer covering the bottom of the dish. Drying the fruit keeps juice from seeping out and making the batter soggy around the cherries. You are done when the cherries sit snugly side by side in a single layer, not piled on top of each other.
Step 3
Whisk 150 g eggs with 70 g granulated sugar and a pinch salt, then sift in 60 g all-purpose flour and stir until you have a thick paste. Mixing the flour with the eggs before adding the milk prevents lumps. The mixture is ready when it is smooth, thick like a sauce and free of dry specks of flour.
Step 4
Slowly pour 250 g whole milk into the bowl while stirring, then add 20 g melted unsalted butter, 4 g vanilla extract and a pinch almond extract if you like. Thinning the batter a little at a time helps it blend smoothly to just the right consistency. The batter is ready when it is as thin as heavy cream, glossy on top and has no slick of butter.
Step 5
Gently pour the batter into the dish in a circle around the edge so the fruit does not get pushed around; the batter only needs to come almost to the top of the cherries. Pouring from low down keeps the fruit in place so the clafoutis bakes evenly. You are done when the surface of the batter is level, with only the tops of the deep red cherries peeking out.
Step 6
Place the dish on the middle rack and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 35 to 45 minutes, without opening the oven door for the first twenty minutes. Steady heat lets the eggs set and the clafoutis puff up evenly. It is done when it has puffed up high, the edges are golden brown, the center is set and a skewer inserted comes out without any runny batter.
Step 7
Set the dish on a rack and let the clafoutis cool for about twenty minutes; it will sink a little, and that is perfectly normal. Eating it warm lets you best enjoy the softness of the custard. Just before serving, sift a thin layer of powdered sugar over the top; it is ready when it cuts into neat pieces without any liquid running out.
Equipment
- Oven
- Pie dish
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Sieve
- Kitchen scale
- Wire cooling rack
Tips
- Traditionally, cooks in Limousin leave the pits in the cherries because they add an almond-like aroma; if you have young children at home, remove the pits to be safe.
- Outside cherry season, you can use the same weight of plums, sliced pears or blueberries instead.
- Resting the batter for about thirty minutes before pouring makes the clafoutis softer and smoother, but if you are in a hurry you can bake it right away.
Storage
Clafoutis is best eaten warm on the day it is made. Wrap any leftovers tightly and refrigerate for up to two days; reheat at 160 degrees Celsius for about ten minutes or enjoy it cold as a dessert.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The clafoutis is tough and rubbery.
- The batter was stirred too vigorously or the clafoutis baked too long. Stir only until the flour disappears and take it out as soon as the center has just set.
- The bottom is wet and there is red juice around the fruit.
- The fruit was still wet or very juicy. Dry the cherries thoroughly and you can toss them in a little flour before arranging them in the dish.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
