It’s the perfect place for a favorite summer fruit to hide out – baked inside a rich, luscious vanilla custard! With a light layer of crunch from toasted almonds these sweet, plump cherries are all dressed up nestled in a dessert that’s utterly delectable, ridiculously easy and ideal for easy entertaining!
Cherry Clafoutis is a simple dish that starts with a bowlful of sweet red cherries covered in a custard base. And for fun, we add a layer of toasted crunch from almonds. Then it’s gently baked into a silky, luxurious dessert.
This is a classic dessert and whenever I make it two wonderful women always come to mind, offering inspiration. When Emily was a toddler we lived next door to a lovely woman, Mrs. Mena. She lived with her daughter and another friend and it was like living next door to the Golden Girls! We all loved to cook so food was constantly going back and forth between our homes. Mrs. Mena made the most incredible flan with an added layer of chopped almonds baked on the bottom – inspiring me to add almonds to this classic recipe.
The second woman is my dear Grandmother Grace Pearl. Grace was a delightful woman who loved to entertain and who was also very entertaining! She loved cherries and as luck would have it had a cherry tree in her yard. As kids we would climb that tree, gather the crimson fruit then and she would bake us incredible cherry pies.
This classic dessert is really easy to make. Whip up an egg-based custard in less than a minute with half and half, with a touch of sugar, a scoop of flour, a generous amount of pure vanilla plus a splash of pure almond extract.
Then pour the custard base over a layer of cherries sitting neatly on top of toasted, chopped almonds.
Then bake just until the custard is set, creating a warm, creamy custard wrapping around the stone fruit with the gentle crunch of almonds in each bite.
It’s a welcoming blend of memories and flavors – as any good comfort food should be.
Cherry Clafoutis
¼ cup toasted slivered almonds
3 to 4 cups pitted cherries – enough to cover the bottom of the baking dish
1-½ cups half and half
¾ cup sugar
3 extra large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla bean paste or extract
½ teaspoon pure almond extract
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
⅔ cup flour
Lightly coat a deep-dish pie pan or small baking dish* with a cooking spray. Chop the almonds into small pieces and sprinkle across the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the cherries out over the almonds in a single layer.
In a blender, add the half and half, the sugar, the eggs, vanilla and almond extract, kosher salt, and flour.
Blend on medium-low speed about 30 seconds or until smooth. Pour over the cherries and almonds and bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden around the edges and just set.
Serve warm or room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers. Serves 6.
*I use a small, oval dish 12”x 8-¾” x 2” deep for this dish. Also, a cherry pitter makes quick work of removing the pits from the fruit.
Cherry Clafoutis
Equipment
- Small, oval dish 12”x 8-¾” x 2” deep, or equivalent
- Cherry pitter
- Blender
Ingredients
- ¼ cup toasted slivered almonds
- 3 to 4 cups pitted cherries – enough to cover the bottom of the baking dish
- 1-½ cups half and half
- ¾ cup cup sugar
- 3 extra large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅔ cup flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
- Lightly coat a deep-dish pie pan or small baking dish* with a cooking spray. Chop the almonds into small pieces and sprinkle across the bottom of the baking dish.
- Spread the cherries out over the almonds in a single layer.
- In a blender, add the half and half, the sugar, the eggs, vanilla and almond extract, kosher salt and the flour. Blend on medium-low speed about 30 seconds or until smooth. Pour over the cherries and almonds and bake in a 350-degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden around the edges and just set.
- Serve warm or room temperature. Refrigerate any leftovers.
