Brandied Cherry Clafouti
Submitted by hiraly
French cherry clafouti with brandy-macerated cherries baked in a puffy, golden custard scented with allspice and lemon zest. Rustic elegance that looks far harder than it is.
YIELD
1 batchPREP
10 minCOOK
50 minREADY
2 hrsClafouti is one of those French desserts that sounds impossibly fancy but is really just fruit baked in pancake batter. And honestly? That simplicity is the whole point.
Cherries soak in brandy and sugar for an hour until they’re boozy and swollen, then settle into a buttered pie pan under a silky custard batter flavored with vanilla, allspice, and bright lemon zest.
It puffs up golden and dramatic in the oven, then sinks as it cools into something custardy, fruity, and just barely sweet enough.
A snowfall of powdered sugar on top and you’ve got a dessert that looks like it came from a patisserie, not your kitchen.
Chef Tips
- Macerate the cherries for the full hour. That brandy soak isn’t optional. It infuses the fruit with warmth and creates a flavored liquid that gets blended right into the batter.
- Blend the batter until truly smooth. Any lumps in the custard will show up as floury pockets in the finished clafouti.
- The initial high-heat blast sets the edges and gets the puff started. Don’t open the oven door during the first 15 minutes or it’ll deflate.
- Serve warm, not hot. The custard needs a few minutes to set so it slices cleanly instead of oozing across the plate.
Variations
- Stone fruit swap: Use sliced peaches, plums, or apricots when cherries aren’t in season. Same technique, completely different mood.
- Almond version: Add 2 tablespoons of almond flour to the batter and swap vanilla for almond extract. The cherry-almond pairing is legendary for a reason.
- Rum and brown sugar: Replace brandy with dark rum and swap white sugar for brown. It goes deeper, almost caramel-like.
Ingredients
Directions
In nonreactive bowl, mix drained cherries, brandy and ⅓ cup of the sugar.
Let sit for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Butter a 9-inch pie pan.
Place flour in medium bowl and make a well in the center.
Drain cherries, reserving the liquid.
Pour liquid into a blender and add remaining ⅓ cup sugar, plus the milk, eggs, vanilla, allspice, lemon zest and salt.
Blend well.
Pour liquid mixture into the well in the flour and blend into a smooth batter.
Spread cherries evenly in prepared pan.
Pour batter over fruit. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 350℉ (180℃). and bake 45 to 50 minutes more until claf outi is puffy and golden.
Let cool. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.
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