Chef Kelly’s Cherry Clafoutis Recipe

It’s nearly cherry season in Provence and that means you’ll soon find the traditional clafoutis in the windows of the myriad pastry shops in villages and cities lining the Cote d’Azur. These beautiful cherry clafoutis are usually dusted with powdered sugar and always beg to be enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee at teatime. Sometimes I substitute apricots for the cherries, depending on what’s fresh and in season at the market. I hope you enjoy a delicious taste of the South of France with one of my favorite recipes from the region.

Chef Kelly’s Cherry Clafoutis Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup almond meal/flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of kosher or sea salt
3 eggs
2 tablespoons kirsch
1 cup whole milk
1½ cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
1/3 cup crème fraîche or sour cream

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sift the all-purpose flour into a medium bowl. Mix in the almond flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk the eggs, kirsch and milk until well blended. Add about 1/3 of the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Whisk to form a paste. Gradually add the rest of the egg mixture. Mix until well blended. If runny, slowly add a little more flour until the batter is cake-like in consistency.

Spread the fruit in an even layer in an 8-inch cake pan. Pour the batter through a sieve, spreading the batter evenly over the fruit.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until the edges are puffed and browned and the center is set. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. The clafoutis will deflate a bit as it begins to cool.

Using a fine sieve, generously dust the clafoutis with confectioners’ sugar. Serve warm, topped with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream.

About Executive Chef & Director of Culinary Enrichment Kathryn Kelly
Since joining Oceania Cruises in 2011, Chef Kathryn Kelly’s passion for adult learning has been the driving force behind The Culinary Center. While overseeing a faculty of dedicated Chef Instructors, she is the chief architect of more than 100 unique culinary classes as well as our popular Culinary Discovery Tours™, which are immersive chef-led excursions offered in more than 40 destinations worldwide. Chef Kelly completed her doctoral studies in epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and holds two master’s degrees in community medicine and biostatistics. After a fulfilling career in health care, she pursued her lifelong dream of becoming a chef, graduating with honors from The Culinary Institute of America in the fifth decade of her life. Chef Kelly resides on Amelia Island, Florida, and in Austin, Texas. She is an avid golfer and the proud grandmother of Kate, Luke and Jack – who spend cherished hours with their ”YaYa” grilling, cooking and baking for their grateful family.