I do apologize to my loyal readers (almost wrote “old readers” but feared to be misunderstood) as you already know this classic, but clafoutis will be the first recipe to be featured in my first Youtube video coming out next Saturday and I thought it’d be nice to refer to the written version then… Anyway. I hope you enjoy it!
There are two types of pastries. The kind that only proper pastry chefs and pastry nuts should attempt like a Baba or a proper Paris Brest and the kind that I or indeed most people can easily make like apple pie, chocolate charlotte or in this case clafoutis.
Cherries.
People make clafoutis with all sorts of fruits these days. The original is made with cherries! Clafoutis (also called millard) is a specialty of the Auvergne and Limousin regions of France. The name comes from an old Occitan word meaning “filling”.
The recipe is quite simple and is basically the “flan” recipe with cherries added. You are going to think I am obsessed with my grandmothers after so many posts that include their recipes, but this on comes from my great grandmother Manée (in the picture) who was even more of a foodie than me. She is quite a legend in our family. If someone says “this was as good as Manée’s” or “Manée couldn’t have made it better”, you just received the greatest compliment there is for any wannabe cook in our clan. “Almost as good as Manée’s” is already a sign of great respect towards one’s cooking abilities :0) I will make her legendary crêpes for you guys someday…
These directions are for an 11 inch pie plate as pictured here. Ideal for 5 or 6 people:
- Clean about 2 pounds of cherries. Take the stems off, but keep the pits in!
- Dispose the cherries in the pan as shown in the pictures here. They should touch each other.
- Put two egg yolks in a bowl with 100g of sugar. Stir with a wooden spoon for about two minutes.
- Add one whole egg and stir vigorously with a whisk.
- Add 100g of softened butter (unsalted), 100g of flour and stir hard with the wooden spoon.
- Add 25cl of whole milk, two tablespoons of dark rhum or kirsch, a small teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoon of vanilla extract and 2 of orange blossom extract. Whisk really well. It is OK if it looks a little lumpy as if the eggs or the milk had turned!
- Pour the mix over the cherries and insert in the oven – 35 minutes at 360°F
Note: the traditional recipe requires that the pits are left in the fruit. A French cook would never dare take them out by fear of loosing any kind of credibility :0)
MY FRENCH HEAVEN 
Good evening!!!! I just watched your video! ‘Tell me what you eat,’ said Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, the 19th-century French lawyer, politician and gastronome, ‘and I will tell you what you are’. Clafoutis or not, you are simply wonderful!!! All the very best for the new challenge.
Warmly, Luana.
Oh thank you my darling friend! There will be a new video every Friday. If you subscribe, you’ll see them all 🙂 I hope you are doing well. I watched the latest James Bond again last evening and it made me want to go to Italy so bad…
Can I subscribe with my son’s name? He hooked my gmail account 🙂 If you come visit, I will be truly happy to host you and madly 🙂 happy to enjoy good food and good wines with you 😉
It’s not in the cards for now, but if I do, you will be my first call 😉
another wonderful post Jil had to tell me about because for some damn reason I can’t subscribe to your website. So annoying. Good luck with You Tube!!! We’re cheering you on!
I’m freaking out. I don’t know how I’ll manage to post the damn video by tomorrow. I’m about to shoot the intro and I’m nervous as hell… This first one will be a total mess. But one has to start somewhere right?…
give yourself a different deadline! you’re stressing out, but you’re your own boss!!!
That’s all I needed: another excuse to procrastinate ☺️☺️😉
Beautiful as always–pictures and recipes. Looking forward to the video 🙂
Thanks Tamara!!!
Love cherries! Beautiful post. Can’t wait to see the video!
Soon Debbie. Soon 😊
My English grandmother taught me a rhyme to sing after I had collected the cherry pits from my serve of cherry dessert. Not once did I bite into a pit, I was always keenly seeking them out. I won’t pit the cherries when I make your delicious dessert in November once cherry season arrives. Have you set up a youtube channel we can subscribe to?
Good idea! And yes, once told, I’ve never heard of anybody bitting into a pit 😉 the Youtube channel is coming up this coming saturday. Keep your fingers crossed for me 😉
It’s such a treasure to have those recipes passed down in the family. If only my French Canadian grandmother were here to share her recipes with me. I’m sure your video will be lovely! One question, are these the sweet variety of cherries? Here in Indiana, sour cherry trees are common and used in many recipes, but I had never heard of clafoutis growing up in my grandparent’s house.
Oh yes! They have to be sweet, juicy and as crunchy as possible. Another option is to soak your cherries in sweetened brandy before using them…
Cannot wait to watch our You Tube debut – congratulations, I am sure it is going to be a huge success
You are kind! It’s just that I am part of the 99% who hate to see themselves on video (or in pictures for that matter) 😶
I look forward to seeing the video and hearing how the process went for you. And what you used for equipment!
For better or worse It will be posted on Saturday… I am quite nervous!
You’ll be fine! But I understand the nervousness. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you.
I had no idea that pitting the cherries would be frowned upon! I would think the unsuspecting eater would be mad after they chomped down on a cherry pit. Your photos are just gorgeous (LOVE the sugar sprinkling shot!) and I am looking forward to the video, yay!
Well, the broken teeth can be the fun part. Just only tell the guests that you like and leave your enemies in the dark 😜
😀
Indeed I´m among the many who will instantly remember the photos as they´re so beautiful. But like a good chocolate cake, you /I can have a cherry clafoutis a hundred times without ever being tired of it!
Ha ha. Me too Sabine 😉
I cannot wait to see your YouTube debut. Très excitant!
Please stop Nadia. The pressure in getting unbearable.
OH, thank you for this! We’ll be getting cherries from our favorite farmer this week. Usually, we make brandied cherries, but I will reserve some to make this wonderful recipe.
I think you will really like it Cynthia
I had clafoutis when I worked in Switzerland in the mid-seventies and loved them. Great to have a recipe (although, not being French and with no reputation to lose), I will probably take out the pits. 🙂
janet
Don’t take them out! Just tell people they’re in. After that, if they hurt their teeth it’s what I call natural selection ☺️ (just kidding). The taste just isn’t the same though…
Ok. I’ll just say it’s authentic. 😉
😂😂😂
Beautiful photos! Manée would be proud.
I loved photos… et ça fait du bien de voir une recette du Limousin.
😉
Gorgeous, as usual. I can’t wait to see the video!!!
Me neither 😂😂😂😂😂
Gorgeous and I cannot wait to see the video.
Soon soon😊 i posted this to put pressure on myself 😉
It’s wonderful😃
Wonderful Stephane. A good cherry clafoutis is a very special thing. I love the photo of your great grandmother 🙂
Thanks! She was a great cook…