Cooking
Cherries seem like such an American fruit. I guess it's the mythology of George Washington and the cherry tree. And then the idiom "as American as cherry pie". But cherries come from Asia Minor and are named after a Turkish town, Cerasus or the Greek city of Kerasounta, depending upon who you believe. Historically they have also been grown in Rome, in England, in France and of course, the United States.
While cherry pie is quintessentially American, my favorite cherry dessert has got to be the cakey, pudding-like French clafouti, which is traditionally made with cherries. You've got to love clafouti because it's such a great word to say-- kla-foo-TEE. Just saying it out loud makes me smile. Try it, you'll see what I mean.
I'm not the only one who loves clafouti. A few years ago in Paris, Lee and I were eating a late dinner in the Marais at a small and rustic Burgundian restaurant. Near the bar was a casual display of desserts. The least elegant of which had to be the clafouti. We watched as we ate dinner, the clafouti was cut into time and again until only one large slice was left. We ordered it, and before the waitress had a chance to serve it, the chef eyed it and started to serve himself. The waitress snatched it from him and we laughed seeing the sad look on his face and sharing his anticipation of something so plain to look at and yet so delicious to eat.
For things like clafouti you can't go wrong with Julia Child's recipe. While this serves 6-8 people for dessert, it also makes a wickedly indulgent breakfast for 4!
Julia Child's Clafouti
serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
3 cups cherries, pitted
1/3 cup sugar
powdered sugar
Instructions
In a blender whirl together the milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour. Pour a 1/4 inch layer of the batter in a buttered 7 or 8 cup lightly buttered ovenproof baking dish. Place in the oven until a film of batter sets in the pan. Remove from the heat and spread the cherries over the batter. Sprinkle on the 1/3 cup of sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about for about 45 minutes to an hour. The clafouti is done when puffed and brown and and a knife plunged in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve warm.
Enjoy!
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Cooking
Julia Child's Clafouti Recipe
Cherries seem like such an American fruit. I guess it's the mythology of George Washington and the cherry tree. And then the idiom "as American as cherry pie". But cherries come from Asia Minor and are named after a Turkish town, Cerasus or the Greek city of Kerasounta, depending upon who you believe. Historically they have also been grown in Rome, in England, in France and of course, the United States.
While cherry pie is quintessentially American, my favorite cherry dessert has got to be the cakey, pudding-like French clafouti, which is traditionally made with cherries. You've got to love clafouti because it's such a great word to say-- kla-foo-TEE. Just saying it out loud makes me smile. Try it, you'll see what I mean.
I'm not the only one who loves clafouti. A few years ago in Paris, Lee and I were eating a late dinner in the Marais at a small and rustic Burgundian restaurant. Near the bar was a casual display of desserts. The least elegant of which had to be the clafouti. We watched as we ate dinner, the clafouti was cut into time and again until only one large slice was left. We ordered it, and before the waitress had a chance to serve it, the chef eyed it and started to serve himself. The waitress snatched it from him and we laughed seeing the sad look on his face and sharing his anticipation of something so plain to look at and yet so delicious to eat.
For things like clafouti you can't go wrong with Julia Child's recipe. While this serves 6-8 people for dessert, it also makes a wickedly indulgent breakfast for 4!
Julia Child's Clafouti
serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
3 cups cherries, pitted
1/3 cup sugar
powdered sugar
Instructions
In a blender whirl together the milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour. Pour a 1/4 inch layer of the batter in a buttered 7 or 8 cup lightly buttered ovenproof baking dish. Place in the oven until a film of batter sets in the pan. Remove from the heat and spread the cherries over the batter. Sprinkle on the 1/3 cup of sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about for about 45 minutes to an hour. The clafouti is done when puffed and brown and and a knife plunged in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, serve warm.
Enjoy!
- Easiest Swedish Pancakes Recipe
Going to Ikea is an all day affair. Or at least a several hour affair. No in-and-out at Ikea. The store is big and those nifty Swedes have found a way to make you go through just about every department, no matter what you've come to shop for. Also...
- Using It Up
Bruschetta my way It’s the end of the week and it’s time to clear out the leftovers and make room in the fridge for weekend shopping. My goal this evening was to use up four very sad plum tomatoes and the rest of those Lapin cherries. I peeled...
- The Clock’s Ticking…
Chocolate Cherry Quick Bread My cherries arrived about a week and a half ago and I know they can’t last forever. They’re still holding up pretty well, but I have almost two pounds left! This evening I made a light and tasty quick...
- Cherry And Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Since my sister was making the cake for our birthday celebration last Saturday, I decided I would make some ice cream. I got my ice cream maker a couple of months ago and I love it. Up until now, I had been focusing on making low-fat...
- Pretty Please With Three Cherries On The Side...
Cherries was at the market the other day and I just couldn't help myself from buying them although they were a teeny tiny bit expensive. Heck, I'm studying for my exam and I need to treat myself nicely from time to time - let myself indulge,...