July is a great time for cherries. As I was popping some cherries this afternoon, I started thinking: what yummy thing could I make with cherries? A classic French cherry clafoutis seemed like a great idea so that’s what I decided to make! It’s a simple and easy dessert to make, but it tastes divinely good. My dinner guests (and myself) went for immediate second servings without hesitation!
Please try the recipe below and let me know what you think. I would love to see some pictures of your creation as well!

Ingredients:
1 pound of red cherries (450 g) (Less if pitted in advance)
1 cup whole milk (or 2% with a splash of cream) (2 ½ dl)
3 eggs
½ cup granulated sugar (1 dl+)
2 tbsp butter (unsalted is better)
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
½ cup all-purpose flour (1 dl+)
a pinch of salt

Instructions:
1. Pit the cherries and soak them in an ounce of cognac or brandy with a tablespoon of granulated sugar mixed in. Let it sit for about an hour while stirring occasionally.
2. Heat the oven to 325-350 degrees. (My oven tends to run hot, so I set it at 325, but 350 should work well for most ovens. That’s 175 degrees Celsius.) Cover a baking dish (about 1 ½- 2 inches (4-5 cm) tall at least) with softened butter. Then place the fruit at the bottom of the dish, pretty much covering it completely. Melt the rest of the butter.
3. Mix the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, almond extract, and melted butter in a blender or bowl. Mix using a mixer and then add the flour. Mix it some more and then pour it all over the baking dish covering the fruit.
4. Put it in the oven for 45-55 minutes until it is set and a test stick in the center comes out only slightly wet. Be careful to not let it cook too long. You want to look for a consistency that is similar to a flan.
5. Serve with whipped cream or as is with some powdered sugar sprinkled on top.

Variations:
– Instead of cherries, add 2 tbsp cocoa powder to the batter and use banana and chocolate chunks as filling.
– Reduce the amount of cherries by about 40% and add 50g of chopped dark chocolate (unsweetened if possible) and half a cup of coarsely chopped blanched almonds. Serve with whipped cream with a dash of Kahlua in it.
– Soak blueberries in red wine and some sugar and use instead of cherries.
– Zest one orange and add the zest to the batter.
– Add a few drops of Grand Marnier or Kahlua to the whipping cream.
– Serve with ice cream instead of whipped cream.
– Make individual portions in 6-8 oz ramekins (Bake for 15-20 minutes in this case)