Life is just a bowl of. . .Cherry Clafouti

Cherry Clafouti

2 tbsp softened butter
1 ¼ cups half and half
2/3 cup all-purpose white flour
3 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups cherries, pitted
confectioners’ sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease six shallow ramekins, or one 9-inch baking dish with about half of the butter and set aside. Pit your cherries.

Put the half and half, flour, eggs, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, lemon juice, and salt into the blender. Blend on high, stopping once or twice, if necessary, to scrape any flour clinging to the sides.

Pour about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of batter into the prepared pan. Bake the thin layer of batter for approximately 3 to 5 minutes until the batter just begins to set. Remove from the oven and arrange the pitted cherries on the semi-cooked batter. Cover the cherries with the rest of the batter and dot with the remaining butter. Return the clafoutis to the oven for 35-40 minutes. Until puffed and lightly golden brown. Serve warm.

Clafoutis are the perfect, simple, rustic summer time dessert, but are also great for breakfast. They can be made with a variety of fruits (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, apricots, peaches, apples, pears, etc., or even a mixture of fruits...though you may want to vary the amount of sugar you use based on how sweet your fruit is). I, for example, had some left over plums from yesterday's tart and some extra batter so I went ahead and whipped up a plum clafouti as well.