You know what? I’m having a fantastic summer. Life is incredibly sweet, juicy opportunities for personal and professional development are cropping up left and right, we’re going to Napa in one month and — I’m thrilled.
Its terrible how little I like to talk about this, how fearful even the most level-headed of us can be of jinxing out all the good in the world by bringing it up. I mean, really. There is a difference between flaunting or bragging about a good life and celebrating it, or at least there ought to be. Did I tell you Alex and I had a little paper airplane flying contest before we went to bed two nights ago? Yeah, things are that kind of fun.
And then there are the cherries. My god, we’re just swimming in them, a big bowl of cliché-come-true. They arrived at our apartment two days ago via UPS in a refrigerated foil package from Batch’s Best Family Farms in Chelan, Washington via ChefShop.com. They’re enormous; “so sweet and so cold” and I feel incredibly indulgent with my fuchsia-stained fingernails and belly full of ruined meals because I can’t quit snacking on them. I keep thinking back to when I first moved to New York, seven years ago now, and I was so broke all the time that cherries, with their inevitable eight-buck price tag for little more than two handfuls were just not something I could eat as often as I wanted, which you know was daily.
And now there’s this. Piles and piles of garnet marbles, such perfection in their original format that I felt guilty baking a significant lot of them into Ceres & Bacchus’s Clafoutis two nights ago–until I tried it. What a glorious dessert, more like a thick crepe than any cake I’ve ever had, and even better cold the next morning with a scoop of plain yogurt.
If you’ve never made cherry clafoutis before, this will be a treat for you. A real one-bowl show-off, and get this, if you’re going for tradition–and oh, you will once you learn how much easier it will make your life–you leave the pits in. Larousse Gastronomique and other traditionalists insist that the pits impart a almond flavor when baked within the custard, something no authentic clafoutis should be deprived of. Clafoutis is often made with plums or prunes (always soaked first in Armagnac), apples or blackberries, but some remind you that this is not, indeed, a clafoutis but a flognarde.
You know what I say? I say there are about twenty cherries left in the fridge, and its time for lunch. I hope you have a swell weekend.
Cherry Clafoutis
I make clafoutis by a recipe from the late food blog, Ceres & Bacchus. My tweaks are to swap the vanilla extract for almond and adding a bit more than 2 cups of cherries. What’s untraditional about this clafoutis is the inclusion of butter (originally 8 tablespoons but I find 6 to be a better level) but if you ask me, it makes all the difference. Clafoutis detractors will usually complain that they can be “rubbery,” “bland” “eggy” or “omelet-like.” I am convinced this is lives up to its custardy promise because of the butter.
A traditional Limousin clafoutis contains unpitted cherries. The pits contain amygdalin, the chemical that makes almond extract taste what we believe it almonds, and it is said that in the oven, the unpitted cherries will release a little of this complementary flavor into the clafoutis. Thus, it’s entirely up to you if you wish to pit them. Pitted, they’re a safer bet for kids that might forget to spit them out. Unpitted, you can be spectacularly lazy in the name of authenticity. I bet you cannot guess which way I make it.
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more to butter dish
- 1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour
- A couple pinches of salt
- 1 cup (235 ml) milk
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 teaspoons brandy or rum (optional)
- 2 generous (245 grams) cups sweet cherries, pitted if you wish
Place the cherries in a buttered glass or earthenware baking dish, cake pan (9 or 10 inches in diameter) or skillet that can go in the oven. (I use a 9-inch cake pan.) Pour the batter over the fruit. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until slightly browned and almost completely set in the middle. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving in wedges. I like it dusted with powdered sugar.
Good for you! Your positive energy is infectious!
Well, since you’re all happy and stuff, maybe you should go help Luisa move instead of sitting around eating cherries!
; )
Happy but very BUSY, my friend. That is, unless she is making her crostada. Or stuffed tomatoes. Or has any cherries left, because I’ll soon be out. Call me!
You’ve got me salivating … Clafoutis is next on my baking list.
I’m so happy they arrived! Tim and Eliza (from ChefShop) brought some to the wedding on Monday, and our guests were groaning from all the goodness. The best surprise? Two days after the wedding, when I was starting to awaken from the exhaustion, I found three pounds of them tucked into our refrigerator drawer as a surprise. Ay god.
Celebrate, my dear. Life is good. Being alive is enough. But cherries on top of it? yes.
Ya know, I’m the same way. I’m convinced that if I talk about how happy I am and what I’m looking forward to (say a new job opportunity or starting some new free lance writing), it will suddenly go “poof” and I’ll be left with eyes sting for the smoke cloud my finicky happiness left behind. I think I’ll join you, Deb, in that proverbial bowl of cherries…why the heck not?! Sometimes embracing life, and it’s fruit, is what we should all do more often. Now, to visit ChefShop to partake in the goodness.
So, share the wealth! Recipe, please
wow, your pictues are so clear and inviting!
Yes do please share the wealth RECIPE PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!
You to have a good week-end , but please share the recipe,
thanks
Cherries and blueberries and watermelon are the really good things about summertime, in my opinion. I like the idea of leaving the pits in because that saves me a ton of work – and the whole cherries look more gorgeous.
The recipe is on Ceres & Bacchus. I used it almost exactly as is, only swapping the vanilla extract for almond and adding a bit more than 2 cups of cherries (she calls for plums, but 2 cups of almost any fruit can be used). Total perfection.
http://www.ceresandbacchus.com/archive.php?name=20070713
Can you use frozen cherries?
I think that link has been co-opted by another site; it’s all in japanese and when translated is not a recipe!
Hahahaha no it sure is not a recipe… For food anyway
https://dianescookbooks.wordpress.com/2012/07/18/cherry-clafoutis/
For me, it’s peaches. And they should appear at the farmers’ market in the next week or two.
Looks fab! And you know what?
I checked the recipe and that’s way close to a type of cobbler they make in the south. Huh. Who knew?
Maybe I’ll test it out with some nectarines from our tree…
I know what you mean about ruined dinner. Last week we (actually I because someone in this house does not like cherries) bought over 2 1/2 lbs. of cherries and they were gone in less than 48 hours. That is on top of the baggie that my Mother in law sent home with said cherry hater the day before that was gone with in a hour.
Ok thanks for the recipe. Also you mentioned that you leave the pits in
is that true or do I have to pit them?????
Did you use the rum with the cherries?
Joann — You don’t have to leave the pits in. I did. It is traditional, but not mandatory, especially if you’re making it for people who you don’t want to have to warn.
Beth — Yes. Of course. And I spilled a little extra in there, uh, for my homies or my liver or something.
Glad to have inspired so much glee. I made the clafoutis again last night, this time with blueberries because it’s my mom’s favorite. It’s also the easiest because the blueberries don’t need any prep whatsoever (and nobody breaks a tooth on a pit).
Looks to-die-for, as always!!
Just wanted to let you know though that your link to ChefShop (embedded in the text) is broken! Also, you spelled it wrong – with two “s”es instead of one. I hate to be the nitpicker, but I thought you’d probably want to know. :-)
I love cherries and have been eating them regularly now with the stained fingers and lips to prove it. That clafouti looks divine.
That recipe is very similar to a cobber my family has made for years, called the Lazy Man’s Cobbler.
The only differences are the ratio of flour, milk and sugar(The recipe I use is 1:1:1 – all one cup of each.) and my recipe does not use eggs. I melt the butter and it goes in the bottom of the baking dish, fruit goes on top of that and then the batter on top of that. No mixing. Comes out perfect every time.
Mmm…and there’s East Coast cherries galore, and your last photo of a half-eaten cherry is divine.
bee-oo-tiful.
Sweet Clafoutis!
Many happy times to you, now and always.
I’m glad that life is going so well! It’s funny how little things like paper airplanes permeate everything and make it better and more happy.
But where’s the RECIPE? My birthday is next week and cherries are on sale at the asian market *puppy eyes* everyone else seems to have it, am I missing something??
Mmm, those look delicious. Now that I live in Oregon instead of (Las Vegas) Nevada, I can experience the joys of REAL fresh fruit..my in-laws have a huge cherry tree in their backyard and there are pear orchards rampant. It’s great, and I think we finally just finished off the cherries we got from our pot-lucked 4th of July bbq. But I do have a peach, which is THE best thing about summertime other than my birthday. :)
summer – cherries – heaven on earth
but you’re going to napa
god how i love napa
my #1 fave restaurant is there
please go and send a detailed report
please…
let me live vicariously through you
it’s tra vigne in st. helena
do it do it do it
I love your site- you totally convinced me to try this! It’s such an easy, pretty recipe.
Pics of my results are on my site :)
Beautiful post, Deb. I think cherries are one of the most evocative of fruits — so many people have luscious memories associated with them. Enjoy Napa — we’ve gone there each summer for the past two years, and had glorious times driving the Silverado road, frolicking in Calistoga and eating really, really well. Are you already planning to go to Copia? We had a lovely day there last summer. We’re headed for Quebec this year, but I will definitely miss Napa.
you mean i don’t have to buy a cherry pitter to make this?! cheery clafoutis has been on my “to make” list all summer, but your edible images made it a “must make”!
Just a wonderful post!!!
I have never made cherry clafoutis, but i could do it now.
I have never eaten a single cherry without inspecting the color on the inside.
How else to learn how to know R E D !
Leaving the pits in? Do you spit ’em out while munching or do they soften during cooking?
Fabulous! I love cherries and have been eating them all summer. I actually think I am beginning to resemble one!
And – your pictures are simply stunning!
What magnificent photos. I’ve discovered your blog quite recently, and to be honest I have a lot of blogs in my bloglines list and don’t always pay close attention to which one I’m looking at. But recently my attention keeps being arrested by your photos, and I always go back and check and say, “yep, this is the woman who just received a new macro lens…” I’m sure it’s not just the lens though, also the skill of the photographer. Anyway now I look forward to all your new posts, especially the photos!
This is so delicious! I’ve made it twice in the last 48 hours- once for a baby shower, and once for a family dinner. Yum!! Thanks, Deb!
I just planted 42 cherry trees for my 42nd birthday. There is nothing better. I will have them picked by a local school for fundraising. Life is good.
But the recipe…where is the recipe???
Recipe is here: http://www.ceresandbacchus.com/archive.php?name=20070713
Sadly, it’s gone now :-(
Will be fixed very soon. Just retested this week to make sure recipe was still top-notch (and it is! phew).
well, that’s it deb, you chose Mary’s clafouti over mine, it’s obvious we can’t be friends anymore unless next time you share the cherry love! alright, yeah, you got me, I’m kidding. Damn I’m such a bad liar! clafoutis are kind of amazing aren’t they?
I can totally relate to things going so well that you are nervous to talk about them. I am experiencing just that right now and think that if I talk about it too much, I’ll jinx all the good.
Enjoy your cherries and enjoy your “peak”, as I call it! I hope your ride is long.
I just made this for a house party yesterday and it was a huge hit, thanks for sharing, Deb!
A friend of mine is throwing a potluck party next weekend, the theme of which is Muffin Tin Only! Anything you bring should be served (if not prepared) in a muffin tin. I think it’s great!
I’m wondering if anyone has any suggestions as to how this recipe can be adapted for small, cupcake-sized servings. I’m also wondering if it would be prudent to use cupcake liners at all, whether paper or foil.
Any ideas?
Hi, Deb. There seems to be some kind of an error on the Ceres & Bacchus page. The recipe now has question marks instead of values for some of the ingredients. I left a comment on the site, but it seems its creator has abandoned ship. Do you, by any chance, still have the recipe written down from a couple of years back? (And yes, I do realize that I am asking this question of a pregnant woman, one who just moved and has more than enough on her plate with her own blog, let alone filling in the gaps of someone else’s — forgive me!)
Hi, again. I ended up using this recipe that Garrett McCord posted over at Simply Recipes. I’d recommend it. There was much bowl-scraping here tonight. So thank you, Deb, but nevermind about that request.
D’oh — sorry I missed that comment. I will update the recipe with a few suggestions. Lots of excellent cherry clafoutis out there from other food bloggers, and I’m sure not a bad one among them.
Must be cherry season, eh? I’ve been playing the runaround trying to nail down that recipe, just like Jess! Noticed one of the commenters on the Ceres & Bacchus blog said she used the recipe. She included it in her post, though it says “adapted from.” Is it probably the same? I’ll probably try Vanilla Garlic’s or someone else’s (I have gobs of cherries to use up), but just thought I’d check…
I’ve read the raves of Clafoutis all over the blog world, so I decided to make this and see for myself. So.. I followed the link for this recipe and some of the ingredient amounts were distorted. So, I followed a link from the comment section provided by a person who blogged of making it and provided the recipe on her site. I figured she must have gotten it before the quantity distortion on the orig blogsite of Ceres and Bacchu’s. Bad idea, but my own fault. I should have looked at other recipes, just to insure the quantites were reasonably in line, and I didn’t do that. The flour amount was interpreted incorrectly. I made this using the 1 cup flour called for from the commenters site. Wrong! It should be 1/2 cup, at the very most. Mine turned out so thick, it was almost gummy. I do have to say in defense of the recipe, the flavor of this custard was fantastic, and I will definately be making this dish again, with the lesser amount of flour. I also added just a little almond extract to the vanilla, because I pitted the cherries and I love the complimentary flavor.
FYI..did you know that this custard is the base for all those (Word that ryhmes with Schmisquick) Impossible pies? It is! I thought the recipe looked familiar, but it’s been awhile since I used that product. Now that I know that, though, I have a whole lot of things I can do with this base custard recipe, with and without the sugar!
I made this today, and enjoyed it thoroughly! The texture was so interesting and different from what I had expected. I added a bit of almond extract, which gave a wonderful flavor to compliment the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients.
huh, actually, I thought the 1 cup of flour was fine. Personally, the next time I make this I’m going to cut down the butter slightly, because it was a little over-the-top rich. But basically a fabulous clafoutis.
The Ceres & Bacchus recipe now shows ? marks, as noted above, because of a formatting problem, but (according to the comments on the original post, and I tried it out so I can confirm that they work) the quantities in question should all be 1/2. So the ingredients are:
3 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter, melted
1 c flour
1 c milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (or almond) extract
(optional) 2 tbsp rum
some sufficient amount of fruit, like 2 c cherries.
I’m about to try it again, with 6 tbsp of butter and whole milk. Last time I used 2%, but I think any kind of milk, even skim, would be fine, with all that butter. Most clafoutis recipes don’t have fat in them and I’ve found them quite thin and a little uninspiring, so I was super happy to find this and I look forward to lots of experimenting–even at baseline it’s the best I’ve ever had.
Another note: it’s easier to get the flour to incorporate fully and with no lumps when you whisk it in before adding the milk, as the Ceres & Bacchus recipe calls for. Many clafoutis recipes want you to add it at the end, and I’ve never had very good luck with that.
Delicious, Deb! I’ve never heard of Clafoutis before, so am really grateful you shared. Had a handful of cherries in the fridge, as luck would have it, & made a 1/2 batch immediately, following the recipe given by the reader on the Ceres & Bacchus site (no problem noticed with the 1 cup proportion of flour). Followed the recipe almost exactly. Only changes: no almond extract, so tossed in some chopped raw almonds; and don’t like powdered sugar toppings so tried sprinking granulated sugar on top, after inverting onto an ovenproof plate, and caramalizing briefly underthe broiler. YUM! Wonderful result and my 3-yr-old granddaughter got a kick out of the pits in her piece. :-) Thanks again!
A classic! I’ve made many versions of this, with whatever fruit I’ve had on hand. It’s great with pears. I made it once for a Christmas dinner dessert; it’s good to know that it’s best eaten quickly or it will de-souffle itself by the time you’ve gotten through a meal (though it will still taste great).
I’m going to give the williams-sonoma Cherry Clafoutis recipe a shot…along with Gemelli with Zucchini and Italian sausage(recipe from The Spice House site…it’s yummo–though I change it up just a wee bit) with your Haricot Verts with Shallots recipe tonight for some friends. I’m sort of hoping that there is some clafoutis left over so I can enjoy it for breakfast tomorrow…but I’m not necessarily counting on it. ;) Basically….I’m finding recipes for what I have from the FM and from my in-laws productive veg garden…and I have an abundance of green beans and zucchini!
I love your easy search feature! I live in WA, so these cherries are a bit easier for me to get. In fact, I just spent $10 on 2.5lbs of them the other day. I’ve been partially feeling frantic about them going to waste before we can consume them all. This recipe is exactly what I’m going to do with some of them. Thank you!
Deb – TRAGEDY!!! the recipe link is broken!!
Bec – This has become my go-to clafoutis recipe, and I had fortunately saved it in an email (glad I did — I too was dismayed moments ago to discover the link was broken!). The below recipe is the same as what was available through the link, with a few of my notes added.
3 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c butter, melted
1 c flour
1 c milk
1/2 tsp vanilla (or almond) extract
2 tbsp rum (optional — I use amaretto)
2 c black cherries (or other fruit)
Pre-heat the oven to 400 F. Beat the sugar and the eggs with a wire whisk until they turn lighter in color. Gradually add the butter, beating to incorporate. Add the flour all at once and whisk until the batter is a homogeneous mixture. Next slowly pour in the milk a little at a time. Add the vanilla, and the rum if you are using it, mixing well. The batter should be very smooth and shiny.
Place the fruit in a buttered glass or earthenware baking dish, cake pan (9 or 10 inches in diameter) or skillet that can go in the oven. Pour the batter over the fruit. Bake in the pre-heated oven, approximately 30-40 minutes (mine tend to cook in less than 30 min — check early), until slightly browned and almost completely set in the middle. Let sit at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a plate and serving (or serve out of the baking pan). Serve warm or at room temperature.
The link is broken. I have a surplus of eggs and frozen fruit and I remember making this before :/
Carrie, what a lifesaver. Made it tonight, a dream!
Is it possible for you to post this cherry clafoutis recipe? Sounds devine.
Cheers for the recipe, Carrie – going to be baking at the weekend! xxx
Yes, thank you mystery Carrie for posting the recipe. Made this last night and it was easy and delicious.
This sounds fantastic! Thanks again to Carrie for the recipe.
Thanks to Carrie for reposting the recipe. Almost too easy for how simple and great it is. Used peak season plums, ~1/4 tsp of almond extract, and Licor 43 for the rum (it’s what was on hand)… oh so good. Going on the MVP list.
Is this recipe still available?
Hello, could the recipe be posted on this page? The link to the other site where the recipe was originally posted does not work!
Just made it last night and it was insanely delicious!!!
Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Julia C.) has several variations on the clafouti; also Joanne Chan’s Flour cookbook. So you get “8 servings”… but my husband and I perch in the kitchen and 30 minutes after it’s come out of the oven, we basically split this thing neatly down the middle. It really is a marvelous dessert…simple and delicious.
one way to get the almond flavor from the cherry pits without actually having the pits in it is to use a pinch or two of mahlab- it’s a Mediterranean spice used in a lot of Armenian baking that’s made out of finely ground cherry pits, and it’s wonderful to cook with in general (goes especially well in challah dough!)
When I click on recipe it just says “page not found”
Can it be found elsewhere. I have a giant cagette of cherries…….
Hey guys! I, too, recently found a huge basket of cherries and would love to try the SK version of a summer classic. However, there is no recipe attached to or described directly within this post. Anyone still have it laying around somewhere?
Just did this receipe with soy milk, less butter and less sugar it was absolutely delicious !
Your recipe does not show up here. How disappointing.
Recipe is shown above from Carrie in 2011. Scroll back. Thanks Carrie!!
Very disappointed! I have wanted to make a cherry clafoutis for ages. I tried this recipe and it was a disaster! I am not a professional baker by any means, but I am able to follow a recipe without a failure. This puffed up while baking and sank while cooling. While baking all I could smell were eggs. As it was cooling I could watch it separate. The butter pooled on top. When I cut into it it looked like scrambled eggs. Hunks of curdled scrambled eggs. So disappointed. Goodbye cherries fresh from the orchard down the road. I followed the recipe posted on Smitten Kitchen as the blog site that was originally was mentioned is unrecognizable now.
So glad the recipe is posted in comments (#54 for latecomers like me)! Thanks, Carrie!
I don’t know. I think I’ll stick with the Julia Child recipe that I use (taken from “Cooking with Amy”). I’ve never seen a recipe with butter in it and think it’s unnecessary. The other thing the Child recipe gives is time to pit the cherries because you bake part of the batter and then add the cherries and the rest of the batter. By the way, if you still want the extra almond taste, you can add almond extract. One other thing about clafoutis that I like no matter what the recipe is, is that you can use whole milk, half and half or cream depending on what you have around the house and how you feel that day/week.
While I live out in big cherry country, I have been known to make this with tiny (cherry-sized) apricots, raspberries and rhubarb. But I definitely pit and freeze cherries just to be able to make this during the winter.
Deb, where is the recipe? The link you posted doesn’t work.
Do you have the recipe? It looks like the original link no longer works!
oh! Sorry. i see the recipe posted in the comments- thank you!
Is there supposed to be a recipe? I don’t see one on my iPhone, and the link to http://www.ceresandbacchus.com/archive.php?name=20070713
Is bad.
I can’t seem to find the recipe either…?
Maybe I am not navigating the new site correctly, but I cannot find the recipe for Cherry Clafoutis, just the beautiful pictures and lovely text.
Hi, Deb, Ever make clafoutis with dried fruit? I have an orchardful of dried cherries in 5-ounce bags. Dried cherry suggestions?
I haven’t but if I were to try it, I would be sure to plump them well first. Perhaps in brandy?
How much sugar should I add if I’m using tart cherries? I’m swimming in them and this looks amazing!
I was just wondering the same thing — the tart cherries I have are jarred, but this recipe doesn’t seem like it would suffer for them, if I drain them properly?
Hard for me to guess. I think they’d be okay because this is a flexible recipe but I’ve only made it with fresh.
Probably at least a couple tablespoons more.
I just made the plum torte tonight, and as the incredible smell filled my house, I thought to myself that clafoutis would be my next conquest. Stop reading my mind! I can’t wait to make this!
cherry clafoutis recipe very nice…..but cruel to publish in September…..cherries long gone!! can I try this with cut up plums or more seasonal fruits to the NYC area?
Bought cherries the week I shared this at the Greenmarket in Union Square, NYC. They’re not gone yet around here, although nearing the end. Other fruits work; plums are common, as are gently poached or sauteed apples or pears.
Try this
First of all 500g of cherry (that is the point)
4 eggs
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar (i agree)
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more to butter dish (a little bit less)
(125 grams) all-purpose flour
A couple pinches of salt
400 ml milk
NO almond extract at all…
2 teaspoons brandy or rum (neither…)
Not pitted if you wish to keep the taste !
enjoy. You’re welcome. It’ named “Clafouti Limousin”
Absolutely perfect. I made this for my husband who sometimes gets allergic to raw fruits. When he couldn’t eat the first cherries from the farmers market, I felt so bad I decided I needed to make him a dessert with cooked whole cherries. After the first bite, he looked at me with such awe on his face and said, “I had no idea such desserts existed!” Needless to say we ate half of it in one sitting.
Next time I might leave out the almond extract since I’m curious if the pits do impart any additional flavor. Although if it turns out the only reason to leave them in is laziness, I am totally ok with that.
I had some cherries in my fridge that were . . . approaching the end of their life and decided that this would be a great way to use them up. I had wanted to try this for years but always wanted to snack on the cherries that I purchased instead of baking with them. This recipe was a total game changer, in the best possible way. I used yogurt diluted with water instead of milk and bourbon instead of brandy and it was totally delicious. I spent the rest of the day imagining ways to work this delight into my life more often. Thank you!
This was SO easy and SO good. My almost 7 year old made this with a little help, we used strawberries and vanilla extract instead of almond/brandy. It came out perfect! We’re looking foward to trying peach next! Thanks for a great recipient Deb. 😄👏
Second time to make this. I’ve made it once with the pits in and once with them out. It sure is a lot easier to make with the pits.
Love the simplicity of this recipe. It’s. Tastes great, too.
Delicious! I made this exactly as written except I used buttermilk instead of regular milk. Thanks Deb! This recipe is a keeper.
I only have non fat milk in my house at all times. Can I use that or evaporated milk so I don’t have to run to the store when I want to bake something on a whim?
I bought some beautiful cherries from the farmer’s market this morning, and this came across my feed, so how could I not?!
I totally forgot to put in the flour! So it didn’t set as well as it should have, but still tasty. I think I’d still use the Julia Child version, though. But I might have to properly make this again before passing judgment :)
My grandmother did not pit the cherries either. But this claptrap about almond flavor is pure fantasy. The real reason to not pit the cherries is that they retain their juices, instead of ruining the texture of the clafoutis with too much liquid.
And of course, butter… Yes.
I made this with pink plums instead of cherries, half and half instead of milk because that is what I had. My French husband whose mother made Clafoutis weekly, was thrilled with the outcome. As we waited for it to cool he noted his expectations: very thin crust, moist elasticity in the pasty. This recipe delivered it all. Fantastic, and so easy!
I used marionberries and raspberries along with vanilla extract and added a pinch of cinnamon. Delish!
I love your blog but I have to say that I personally did not like this. It wasn’t like custard it was very eggy. Like having a fruity omelet. I’ve never had traditional clafoutis so maybe I will try one of the more traditional recipes next time and see if I like it more.
I made this today. It was fantastic!
Would it be possible to substitute almond,pecan or coconut flour instead of the wheat flour?
A lively fulfillment of childhood memories. Thank you. Also lively to hear someone enjoying the simplicities of life.
I just made this with gooseberries and a splash of a clear, fruity schnapps…so good! Just the inspiration I was looking for, as usual. Thanks! <3
So I tried it again, as I couldn’t resist, with flour. I have to admit, I didn’t love it compared to Julia Child’s recipe. I found the top greasy due to the butter (and I used less than called for), and I think there’s too much flour in it. It was way too dense. (Obviously still tasty). I didn’t pit the cherries, which definitely helps with the juice factor; my clafoutis problems in the past have been often due to too much juice.
If made in advance, how long will it keep? Do I refrigerate?
I keep it in the fridge.
This was truly delicious and insanely easy to put together when we need a quick snack. My boys (11 and 14) liked the cake part, but I loved the cherries. Highly recommend leaving in the pits: I’m pretty sure (but it could be the power of suggestion?) that I detected that slight almond flavor within the cherry itself. We did not have powdered sugar on hand but did have whipped cream, so we served that on the side (don’t put it on top, which has a lovely crispness to it). Thanks, Deb, for a great recipe!
You ruined it with the butter. I have made the original recipe many times and it is always delicious. This time I decided to try yours, because I like your blueberry pancakes. But the butter makes it heavy and doughy. Ugh! Great waste of ingredients.
Does anyone else think there is much too much batter for 2 cups of fruit?. I end up using almost 4 cups of fruit to get that fruit floating on top look. And then, it does take much longer to cook. Next time I will cut back on the batter. I do love how simple and deliscious it is. Made it twice for company!
Just got a giant haul of cherries. Making this to take to a BBQ!
I was wondering if this would freeze well? Thanks so much.
Found beautiful dark, sweet cherries for 1.99 a pound, but ate so many of them that I only had a cup and a ha for the clafoutis. Filled in the rest with Oregon blueberries and it seems to be a winning combination! This is, by far, the best clafoutis recipe I have ever tried, and that’s saying something. I’m not fond of people changing recipes via the comments section, but it’s the right time of the year for both of these purple lovelies, so I hope it’s ok to throw it out there. Made it the recommended way a couple weeks ago and it was spectacular!
So my clafoutis looks done, smells great, but it looks nothing like the photo. Should I be concerned?
What does it look like?
Thanks for replying! I’m pretty sure I overmixed the batter, so it was too flat. Definitely going to try again because other than that it tasted great
The rum came out too fast so I know I got more than 2 teaspoons but not to worry. It took 30 minutes and wasn’t as browned as Deb’s photo. However, the center was set and edges were nicely browned. Just had a sliver; never had a clafoutis before that I know of. Lovely, I think it would make a great breakfast. I used a generous 2 cups of cherries and think I could have used more.
So, do you alway spit out the pits when you eat them, or do you just chew them and swallow? It seems to me that this might be obvious (that I wouldn’t eat them), but if they taste good and aren’t hard toneat, I’d leave them in there and not spend a half an hour pitting!
I think some people do each. I spit them out.
This smells heavenly and tastes fantastic! I didn’t think my household would go for pits in their dessert so cut my cherries in half in attempt to get the pits out. Next time I’ll grease my cake pan.
Made this for a Fourth of July brunch. Came out great and guests loved it! Gotta love easy one bowl recipes.
With 2lbs of cherries and nothing to do, I stumbled upon this recipe and wanted to drop you a note to let you know that your allusion to William Carlos Williams’s poem made my day. That poem has always spoken to my inner, thieving 10-year-old self.
As a side note, I made your vanilla custard last night for a dinner party (with strawberry-rhubarb compote to boot) and all my guests swooned. Thank you, Deb.
No need to fly your cherries in. Get them from Kiernan Farms at your local farmer’s market. The same guy who you recommend for Kirby cukes in your Quick Fridge Pickle recipe. I got to him late this week when he only had about 10% of his daily display of cherries left and for whatever reason, they were the darkest, sweetest of the whole bunch. Unbelievable.
Of course, of course. (This recipe is 11 years old, when I spent a lot less time at, and had much less budget for, Greenmarkets. My loss!)
Yay! I made this today, we’ll sort of, I used blueberries, pecans, lemon zest and St. Germain and it was delicious!
Would vanilla extract be ok to make this nut-free?
Perfect dessert to follow a light summer dinner. Made it with vanilla instead of almond extract, and no rum. I added more cherries so that the 8×8 Pyrex dish had a tight layer of them. In a convection oven at 375, it needed the full 30 minutes. I was used to clafoutis without butter, but this one beats them all. I will add the rum next time, for a little more something. And if you can find sour cherries, use them for a nice contrast with the sweet batter.
A lovely dessert, easy to make with great results. Made this today for a small dinner party, and because I had fresh cherries in the fridge. I pitted them and followed recipe exactly, except omitted the rum. Batter was very thin like pancake batter. Baked in an oval dish for 25 min. Puffed up beautifully and browned on top nicely. Tasted a little too sweet for me, next time I’ll cut sugar to 1/3 or even 1/4 cup, depending on sweetness of cherries.
Made this this evening to use up the last of a bag of cherries and it was scrumptious! Subbed brown sugar for the white sugar and inadvertently doubled the almond extract, but it smells wonderful and tastes even better. Any less sweet and I can see how it might be eggy, but I think it’s perfect.
Delicious. After the first time I made it, I tried a recipe without butter out of curiosity, and although it wasn’t awful I was convinced once again that you always know best. The second time I made this recipe I reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup out of personal preference, and found it perfectly sweet and desserty. In my opinion it goes perfectly with plain yogourt. I’m eager to try it with even more cherries (maybe another cup?) and a little cinnamon on top, because my husband loves cinnamon, and I think just a little would complement it nicely (and I don’t care about authenticity).
This may be my favorite breakfast (sweet category) of all time. I pitted my cherries and added the optional rum. I saved this as soon as it came through my FB feed. Later that day, my local supermarket had cherries for $1.99/pound so I had to make it.
I have to agree with the other commenters. This was too eggy. I cut the sugar to 1/3 cup, and used gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose. I didn’t have almond extract so used vanilla. Maybe if it was sweeter, or cold, you wouldn’t notice the egginess? I’ve had clafoutis before, and don’t remember it being so eggy. I wouldn’t make this again. It didn’t knock my socks off. It was easy, though – I melted the butter in my glass pie plate in the microwave, and poured the butter, along with all the other ingredients, into the blender, as I do with a dutch baby, and poured over the cherries (I used almost 3 cups).
I made this tonight. So delicious. I didn’t have almond extract so I used vanilla, and I misread the time and kept it in the oven for 35 minutes. I pitted my cherries using a chopstick and an empty bottle of wine (an excellent method I recently discovered.) Honestly one of the best cakes I’ve ever made, and I considered making another one 2 hours later.
Made this last night for a Bastille Day party. Served with lightly sweetened whipped cream with some almond extract mixed in. Merci!
^^and I meant to say it was insanely delicious!!!
This is going to end up a repeat performance during cherry season for sure. Super easy and quick to make, no tricky techniques or weird ingredients, and it’s a crowd pleaser. Much more of a custard than a cake, very creamy but still slice-able. I used closer to 3 cups of cherries, because I had them, and swapped vanilla for almond extract, because I had it. No regrets.
Made this a couple of weeks ago and it was divine. Just whipping up another one but my batter did not come out shiny and smooth – dull and small particles. What did I do wrong this time?
I’m going through the comments to see if someone else was going through this. I’ve made this four successful times and today I’ve remade it twice and am ending up with a bowlful of particles and I am stumped. I let the butter cook completely each time, I don’t know what else could have gone wrong.
Made this today. It is definitely rich! Very tasty though. Ended up baking for around 27 minutes. I think it could have gone a little longer (your photos are more brown) but didn’t want to overbake it. Overall success for my first try! Thanks Deb!
Amazing and so easy! Thank you for the weight measurements and the info about leaving the pits in.
I am scratching my head as to HOW I haven’t made Deb’s version of this. I know I made cherry clafouti years ago trying out a “healthy” paleo version which was good. I know I retried an original variant and loved it, and now this popped up when I went to search for it and I am so happy to have found it (I haven’t met a smitten kitchen recipe I didn’t like). I did use pitted frozen cherries (thawed the night before and drained); I love my fresh ones too much for snacking to give them up! I used a glass deep pie dish and it had to go the full thirty minutes. I had never used brandy, which I added this time, because I trust Deb implicitly, but am now dreaming of trying it with Amaretto. ;)
My second one is in the oven. The one I made last week was my first, and it was fabulous. Had some cherries in the fridge, some red, some rainier, mixed them this time. Also added Amaretto for the liquor. So easy, yet so special!
I have wanted to make a clafoutis for awhile and when I got an abundance of sweet cherries at the farm market I finally made my move. This was super easy and delicious. I did use a stand mixer to make the batter (based on seeing Ina Garten use one and get a nice mixture, I also followed her advice to butter and sugar the pan) and it worked well, the only concern was that the batter seemed a little grainy from the melted butter (as a another commenter noted) but it did not affect the finished dish. It was so yummy out of the oven. I will definitely try this again although I might try Ina’s version with heavy cream and no butter just to get a comparison of textures.
Very good clafoutis recipe. I’ve been testing a few and this and Dorie Greenspan’s are definitely one of the better ones. I used frozen and fresh blueberries and vanilla extract instead. I used a stoneware 9″ pie dish; this was a bit under even at 30 mins. It looked set in the middle but it was very runny after a bit of cooling. We like our clafoutis a little runny but it was too runny in the middle. I would say next time I’d go to 35 mins at least. Thank you for the recipe!
Can I make this with vanilla extract instead of the almond extract?
Well, well, well. Fortuitous timing. This weekend my family is re-starting Sunday Family Gathering. This seems like an excellent item to add to the brunch table.
Can I bake in air fryer? How long what temp
This was delicious! Thanks so much! I made this with my two kids reading the instructions, gathering the ingredients, and doing most of the legwork. The instructions were clear, the recipe worked perfectly, and we appreciated the flexibility. Our version used up some slightly mushy strawberries and frozen blueberries. Another great experience with your recipes!
Soooo….good. I am not sure how others ended up with something eggy. I mean, it’s a different texture. It’s not a cake, per se. Mine isn’t eggy though. I followed directions pretty precisely. I did set my milk and eggs out in advance to come to room temperature and let my butter cool completely so that the ingredients would blend smoothly. I removed the cherry pits by smashing the cherries in the buttered pan and picking them out. It made pretty quick work. Maybe 5 minutes? I will definitely make this again with other seasonal fruit.
Loved this ! It was so simple and easy to make, and turned out beautiful and delicious. I was too lazy to go to the store for regular milk, so we used almond milk and vanilla extract instead. I think the texture would have been a little bit better with real milk, but honestly we still thought it was amazing for anyone wondering how it turns out with almond milk! I have never had clafoutis before, but it was almost like a baked custard kind of taste and texture to me. I think it would be fabulous with peaches !!
We made this using apricots instead because they were the only fresh fruit we had in hand and it was phenomenal!!
This was soooooooooo good! We didn’t have any fresh cherries, so we “re-plumped” dried cherries we had by bringing the dried cherries and a cup of orange juice to a soft boil in a little saucepan. I got super ambitious and added a touch of orange bitters too. They boiled for about 10-15 min and were absolutely amazing in this dish.
DELICIOUS! I’ve been dying to make this for a long time and finally got around to it today. If flan, bread pudding and cherries had a baby, this is what it would taste like.
Made this with 2 heaping cups of freshly picked blueberries and vanilla extract instead of almond and it was delicious! Baked in a cast-iron skillet and only needed about 23 min. So easy but feels fancy!
Fantastic! This was so easy to make and delicious. I used 2 pints of fresh cherries from a farm stand and pitted them because we have little kids who don’t understand cherry pits. I made the recipe exactly as written except I took one step from Cook’s Illustrated to briefly roast the cherries before adding to the batter. Wow! Just put them on a foil-lined baking sheet for 15-20 minutes at 400 while making the batter, pour the batter into a buttered pan/pie plate and drop the roasted cherries straight in. Two of us ate about half of this after it came out of the oven – couldn’t stop eating it! – then had the rest for breakfast with coffee. Will make every year during cherry season!
Delicious! We had this as a seriously indulgent breakfast. I’ve tried lots of clafoutis recipes, and this is such a nice, custardy one. I used 30% less sugar, and a lovely spiced rum. And, as the fruit flies were descending, extra cherries. Thanks!
In the spirit of science, I made this with cherries with the pit left in and without almond extract to see if I could taste that flavour. The answer is: no, not at all. Additionally, because the cherries were left whole (whereas they would be slightly damaged by taking the pits out) the cherry flavour remained concentrated in, well, the cherries. All in all a very tasty recipe, but next time I will take the pits out (and decrease the butter ever so slightly; I think 75 g would be better).
I was looking for a clafoutis recipe that would work well citrus flavors. I had some Golden Berries / Cape Gooseberries to use up. This worked well!
I served it with a sweet citrus butter. Thank you.
I’m dying to hear more about this sweet citrus butter. I love everything citrus!
I have made this twice now. The first time I followed the recipe very closely. It was pretty good, but the consistency was kind of rubbery, as Paul Hollywood would say it was “stodgy.” I also thought the almond extract and brandy were overpowering. The second time (after consulting with my mom, the family’s French pastry expert), I cut the flour to about 3/4 cup, added 1/2 tsp baking powder, and used slightly less almond extract and just a dash of brandy, and it was worlds better in my opinion and my family’s. It looked a lot more like the picture, too, for whatever reason.
Ok SK. It is the second time I made this recipe. And wow the first time. Pretty sure it is going to be wow again 😂. The dish is now in the oven, and cannot wait to dig in. So, the first time, I removed the pits, then again, I read your blog about the recipe. I love to do that, then I don’t miss anything 🤗😀 and the second time around, I left the cherries with the pits. I also used seasoned rum in place of the almond extract and or rum. Yes, I made this fruit compote in 2019, fruits are still soaking away in the rum, and used this same rum to flavor. My oh my, delish! I also added half a cup of thick cream to the milk. Hubby had this the next day with my homemade yoghurt, and he said it was delicious. Yes, we both ate it till it was finished. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, it is pinned, and my sister has tried it too.
Oops, not fruit compote, but Rumtopf. Going to make the compote using the rumtopf. I wonder how seasoned fruit will taste in the clafoutis 😂
If you pit them, then go ahead and halve them and let them bleed a little, then dry with a kitchen towel. If you pit them, but don’t halve them and get them a little dried out they’ll bleed too much into the batter and keep the flan from setting like it should.
This is why the French leave them unpitted.
I’m sold on the addition of butter; my previous clafouti attempts just weren’t as great as I had hoped, but this was custardy near-perfection. The almond flavor from the extract is wonderful, and I also added a scraped vanilla bean because I have a small bag of them that I bought on impulse and now am trying to use up. The vanilla bean specks (and the flavor!) in the custard were a nice addition; I’ll do that again.
Note to self: try cutting down the flour by 1-2 Tbsp next time I make this to amp up the custard aspect even more.
So glad I found this again. This was the first “impressive” (not cookies/brownies) recipe I made in high school and I lost the bookmarked favorite several laptops ago. I was so proud to serve this to my parents and thrilled by how easy it was to make a “fancy french dessert.” Can’t wait to make this again this weekend, and hopefully feel as proud as I did 14 years ago — I’m sure it will taste just as amazing!
Since we’re talking about amygdalin! I love almond extract for some things, but for stone fruit desserts please consider acquiring some mahlab. Itself a wild cherry pit, when ground and added to baked goods the complement to stone fruits is *bonkers*. Nutty and aromatic and more fresh/nuanced than almond extract, which can be clobbery.
Can you use berries instead of cherries?
Yes
Do you think this could be made with cornmeal to have a twist on the cherry’s upside down cake that has become a family favourite? The cornmeal and cherries just works so well together.
I loved this! Such a great way to use up a few too many cherries hanging around the fridge. I didn’t find it eggy with the full amount of sugar and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Delicious!
So good!! I am allergic to cherries but can’t resist any dessert that is described as flan-like, so made this with a cup of blueberries instead and it’s delightful. I used one less tablespoon of butter (5 instead of 6) and it seemed to be plenty. I baked it in an 8-inch cake pan at 30 minutes and it was a nice height. Next time i might try it with 4 tablespoons of butter only, and perhaps brown sugar instead of white? Either way, having trouble resisting eating this whole cake in one setting!
So good! So easy! I pitted my cherries with a strawberry huller. Worked great! Used the almond extract. Baked up beautifully for a delicious midmorning snack for me and my toddler. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes!
Hi! Not sure what I did wrong but it looked totally set, nicely brown on edges. When we went to eat it, the center was pretty uncooked and runny. It did not puff as in your pictures. I was surprised there is no baking powder or soda in the recipe. The bottom was seemingly cooked but with a thick, pasty texture. I put everything in exactly as listed and baked in an earthenware bowl.
Took this out of the oven 15 minutes ago, made as written cherries not pitted. On my 3rd slice without powdered sugar and YUM! Like the texture very much, not too sweet – thank you for yet another SK winner.
Can I use cherry pie filling to make this recipe.
I don’t think it will work the same because it’s already wet and kind of jammy.
I wanted to love this as I adore simple and rustic dishes. I have made this twice and been disappointed both times: as others have said, it is just too eggy/rubbery.
Yum!! Not too eggy or omelette like at all!
I pitted my cherries *I didn’t read the memo until now about leaving the pits in!!*
I also used Ghee (Clarified Butter) Because that is what I had on hand.
For the milk I subbed “Better Half” Coconut and Almond creamer/half and half substitute. Not sure how this changed the outcome but it tastes great!
Second time making this, used red and golden raspberries this time and thank goodness this is such a forgiving recipe. In my sleep deprived state I basically put all the ingredients in out of order, almost forgot to put the milk in and yet, just out of the oven, looks delicious. Definitely a keeper recipe – thank you!
I made this without the almond extract or rum, because I didn’t have either, and with pits in. Very quick and it was delicious, although I felt it could have used a handful or two extra cherries. We had it with some vanilla ice cream, and it was also noch from the fridge the next day and I would love to take some to work as a snack tomorrow, but I’m afraid it will not survive that long.
noch = nice
Sorry for the auto -correct
The Larousse Gastronomique is just a bunch of old guys blowing the hot air of self-importance. You can suck on cherry pits all you want and you’ll never get a hit of cyanide, that’s how pits are built. But what does make a difference is preserving perfect little pillows of juiciness in the sea of crepey batter (butter, of course!) instead of having them disintegrate into a soupy mess. The pitted version still tastes like cherries, so we’ll eat it regardless, but the texture is deplorable
I was just wondering what to do with a backyard overload of Santa Rosa plums. Hope they aren’t too wet. Thanks for the idea.
Lovely recipe. Reminds me of clafoutis I enjoyed in France when I lived there. I found my friends often pitted the cherries, which I prefer.
I made this deliciousness (Cherry Cafloutis) this past Saturday and ate the last of it this morning. It didn’t last long, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I used Cognac because that’s all I had. I don’t know if I will make it again, but if I do I might add dark chocolate chunks and I will try it with pitted the cherries. As much as I LOVE the idea of not pitting the cherries, I found the pits distracting during the actual eating of the thing. I just wanted to savor it, but had to work around the pits. Small price, but wondering if the lack of pit negotiation makes up for the lack of extra almond taste.
I do have a plethora of blueberries at the moment, so I might go there. Incidentally, I tried a similar recipe using peaches last summer and hated it. Not sure what’s different, but THIS recipe was amazing.
Made this again. Still did not put the cherries because I didn’t want to delay gratification. I did add a few semi sweet chocolate chips this time. Not a lot. Just enough to get a little chivalry surprise here and there.
I had it in the oven for 30 minutes and the center is still watery. Back into the oven it went to firm up but I am not optimistic.
Your recipes are usually perfect, but this one didn’t work for me, perhaps because I put all the batter ingredients in a blender, which many recipes tell you to do? Anyway it was very rubbery, would’ve benefited from a little more sweetness and salt but that still wouldn’t have corrected the texture
Absolutely love your stuff, Deb – Everything I have tried has been a winner, including this! Keep up the great work!
We love this recipe, through a funny turn of events it’s become the traditional breakfast for birthdays in our family. Delicious with a scoop of yogourt or just on its own :). I make it using frozen cherries as we’re normally in the offseason and it works great, I would say the brandy/rum is needed and gives such a nice flavour as well.
Delicious. I think I overbaked by a few minutes (forgot to set the time) but it was still wonderful
We absolutely love this dessert. We usually make it with sour cherries from our back yard or blueberries from my mom’s garden. I love how quick it is to pull together and I usually have all the ingredients already so now special trips to the store are needed.
Just made this. Is it supposed to be pudding like or cake like ? Used blueberries n a peach. Yummy.
More like a thick flan
Can almond milk be used?
Just wanted to let you know I tried this with unsweetened Almond Breeze almond milk, only because that’s what I had. I haven’t made the recipe with regular milk yet, so I can’t compare it, but I thought it turned out really good in terms of texture and taste.
If you’re looking for a dairy-free version, you’d have to also use plant-based butter, which may be too much substitutions. But the almond milk worked out deliciously; maybe even adding some more subtle almond flavor.
Can you use blueberries or other fruit?