This is a delicious dessert to make when baskets of dark, sweet cherries start appearing at your local farmers markets. In California, it’s usually sometime in April. The traditional cherry clafoutis is a simple, custard-like, peasant dish made of unpitted sour cherries baked in a simple batter; the pits infuse the cherries with a delightful and distinctive almond flavor when cooked. In our version, we used sweeter, pitted cherries and then added a splash of almond extract to give the clafoutis that traditional authentic flavor, minus the pits. Make it worth the splurge and serve this dessert with a dollop of brandy-spiked maple whipped cream!
Prep time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour for cherries to macerate
Cook time: 1 hour
Serves 6
For the cherries:
16 ounces frozen pitted cherries, or fresh if in season
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons kirsch or brandy (optional)
2 tablespoon maple syrup
For the batter:
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup maple syrup
3 large eggs
½ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup arrowroot
3 tablespoons coconut flour
2 tablespoons powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)
For the maple whipped cream:
1 cup organic heavy cream
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 ½ teaspoons brandy (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350℉
Toss the cherries with lemon juice, maple syrup, and brandy. Let stand for 1 hour.
Place batter ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed for one minute.
Spoon the fruit and juices into the bottom of a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet, baking dish, or cake pan. Pour the batter around the cherries and cover with foil.
Place the skillet in the middle position of your preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The clafoutis is done when it is puffed up and golden and a toothpick or knife plunged into the center comes out clean. You can place the clafoutis under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown the top a bit more if desired.
Whip the cream, maple syrup, and brandy until stiff peaks are formed.
Using a sieve, lightly dust the top of the clafoutis with powdered sugar and serve warm with maple whipped cream.