Bastille Day was last week. Cherries have been in season for a couple of weeks now. Recipes for Cherry Clafoutis have recently been posted by more than a handful of other talented food bloggers out there. And I bought a new cherry pitter months ago. What all this means is that I am somewhat late to the game of making this rustic French dessert. But better late than never or so the pragmatists in the world might say. However, those of us who are slightly more idealistic might lament over lost time, lost opportunities, thinking instead that "our biggest regrets are not for the things we have done but for the things we haven't done." So in my, at times, idealistic world to have lived such a long life without having Cherry Clafoutis as a part of it is to have lived a life with a little bit of regret.
Originating in the Limousin region of France sometime during the 19th century, a clafloutis has traditionally been made with black cherries. However, they have also been made with apricots, apples, blackberries, pears, plums, and even cranberries. Skewing more to the traditional side, choosing the fruit for the clafoutis wasn't really a choice at all. It could only be cherries. At the farmer's markets and grocery stores this year, I have never seen more beautiful, nor tasted sweeter cherries.
Sometimes described as a cross between a custard and a pancake, a clafoutis can be served as a dessert or as an indulgent breakfast. While best served warm, the clafoutis can also be served at room temperature. If I could recapture some of 'my life without Cherry Clafoutis', I would go back and eat it for breakfast on my birthday, for breakfast on Christmas, for breakfast on the day of the summer solstice, for dessert on the Fourth of July, for dessert after a dinner party having a French inspired meal, and on any other day I had a craving for it or wanted to make someone else's day memorable.
Cherry clafoutis, where have you been all my life?
If you live long enough, the things you acquire 'new' become things considered 'vintage'. As I was searching for the brand new cherry pitter I had bought some months back, I could only find the one that exemplified vintage. Had I not ultimately found the newer, improved cherry pitter my enthusiasm for making the Cherry Clafoutis may have been a tad curbed. However, I suppose the tool itself does not matter as much as one's desire for either a hurried or unhurried life.
As I was (laboring over) pitting the cherries, I understood why the French did not pit their cherries during the 19th century. The early clafoutis actually contained the pits of the cherries as they contained one of the same active chemicals found in almond extract. Baking the pits released this flavor into the clafoutis. Rather than risk anyone from swallowing or choking on a cherry pit, I thought there was a better way to infuse some almond flavor in the 21st century. The choices were adding almond extract or using almond meal flour. Looking for a more subtle taste of almond, I altered the recipe I had found and used equal amounts of all-purpose and almond meal flour instead of using all all-purpose flour.
Some recipes for clafoutis call for mixing all of the ingredients by hand. This one called for using both a mixer and a whisk. For ease and convenience I used a standing mixer with a whisk attachment, but the base batter could be assembled using a hand mixer. A whisk worked perfectly to whip the egg whites just until they became light and foamy.
The pitted cherries are mixed with 1/3 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest.
After the baking dish is buttered and sugared it is placed in the preheated oven for 4 to 5 minutes. Upon removing from the oven, the cherry mixture is immediately spread evenly in a single layer. Once the batter is poured, the baking dish is returned to the oven. The clafoutis bakes for 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges are browned and it is set in the center.
The finishing touch to the warm clafoutis is dusting it with confectionary sugar.
The clafoutis is an example of both rustic simplicity and decadence. How can something simultaneously be at both ends of a spectrum you might wonder? You will have the answer to that question after you first take the cherry clafoutis in with your eyes and then take your first bite. If you were wondering what to do with the abundance of cherries you have, a cherry clafoutis couldn't be any easier to make (pitting the cherries isn't all that bad), and will wow your family and friends.
Recipe
Cherry Clafoutis (inspired by a Williams-Sonoma recipe)
Ingredients
4 large eggs, room temperature and separated
2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
3 Tablespoons all-purpose
3 Tablespoons almond meal flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 pounds fresh cherries, pitted (or 1 1/4 pounds frozen cherries, thawed and drained)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Confectionary sugar for dusting
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and sugar a 10 inch round or 9 x 12 inch baking dish and set aside.
2. In a standing mixer with a whisk attachment combine egg yolks and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Beat on medium-high until ribbons form (about 4-6 minutes).
3. Add flours, vanilla and cream. Reduce speed to low and beat until completely blended (stopping mixer to occasionally scrape down sides of the bowl).
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and salt for about 30 seconds or until light and foamy.
5. Add egg whites to batter and beat with mixer on low until fully incorporated (1-2 minutes).
6. In a medium sized bowl, stil together cherries, remaining 1/3 cup sugar and lemon zest.
7. Place prepared baking dish in oven for 4-5 minutes.
8. Remove baking dish from oven, pour in cherries and then top with batter. Return to oven and bake 30-35 minutes or until clafoutis browned at the edges and is set in the middle. Note: Size of baking dish will influence baking time.
9. Sift confectionary sugar over top of clafoutis and serve.
Optional: Serve with vanilla or pistachio ice cream.
Two things happened this past week causing me to reflect on the importance and power of gratitude. The first was receiving an unexpected, incredibly thoughtful gift from a friend. The second was an email from another friend containing unexpected words of appreciation. Both brought me great joy and both offered me opportunities to show my appreciation for their kindnesses, for their friendship.
Gratitude has been defined as the quality of being thankful, the readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Robert Emmons, a noted expert on gratitude, sees it as a relationship-strengthening emotion as it requires us to recognize how the roles support and affirmation impacts the feelings of closeness and commitment we have for friends and/or partners. In support of this belief, author Ellen Goodman once said 'We are told that people stay in love because of chemistry, or because they remain intrigued with each other, because of many kindnesses, because of luck. But part of it has got to be forgiveness and gratefulness." Beyond strengthening relationships gratitude can bring happiness; foster creativity; enhance feelings of optimism, joy, hope and enthusiasm; increase resiliency; and, promote forgiveness.
Have you watched as a child or friend receives little back from those they show love, thoughtfulness and generosity? Have you ever noticed how you show gratitude to those you want to keep close in your life differs significantly from those you want to maintain distance? Sometimes it is easier to see this in others than it is in ourselves.
In this age of social media and hurried lives, we can sometimes lose sight of the importance the ways in which our actions and words we choose to show gratitude can have. Even if there is an element of gratitude present, sincerity and snarkiness sound and feel very different. Our reactions to the receipt of card; a homemade or store bought confection; an unexpected or celebratory gift; a favor; or even just a short note expressing support, have the power to affect the quality of not just our relationships with others, but our own lives. Our words and actions reveal much of what resides in our hearts.
