Sweet & Savory Kitchens

Margaux says

This is a recipe from my “3 Aunts and a Mom” cookbook from Aunt Suzy, submitted by Aunt Judy.  It’s a take on the classic French clafoutis, with chocolate added (yum!).  I’ve been itching for cherry season to arrive so that I could make it, and once it finally got here, every time we’ve had cherries in the house a certain little boy eats them all before I can even blink.  This time I had a plan…bribe him with a popsicle while I pitted the cherries.  Well, the minute I got out the dark ruby little treats, the popsicle was forgotten (who wants frozen grape juice when you can eat these sweet, juicy little guys??).  So it took me twice as long to pit the three cups…

I had to give the cherry monster one for every two I pitted.  Note the cherry-juice chin.

Apparently, purists bake their cherry clafoutis with un-pitted cherries, because the pit releases added flavor to the dish.  I just think that dealing with pits when you’re trying to savor a dessert is not worth it…maybe I’ll try it that way sometime just to see.   But it would have made this quick dessert even quicker, that’s for sure!

I love this dessert because it’s not to sweet…it kind of reminds me of cherry crepes, if you were just to pour the crepe batter over the cherries and bake it all together, or even flan, because of the egg and cinnamon flavors.  It also makes a good brunch treat…I’ve had it for breakfast 2 days in a row now.  🙂

Cherry-Chocolate Clafoutis
recipe from my Aunt Judy Major

2 tbsp melted butter
3 cups fresh dark cherries, or 2 cans, well-drained (although I wouldn’t recommend canned)
1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Grease 10″ iron skillet with 1 tbsp butter. Spread cherries and chips in the pan.

Mix together dry ingredients in a medium bowl.

Place liquids in a blender. Add mixture of dry ingredients and remaining 1 tbsp butter. Blend until smooth.

Pour batter over cherries and chips.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 15 minutes before serving.

Be sure its a 10″ skillet. The batter will puff up and fill the skillet during baking, though it falls soon after it comes out of the oven. Serve warm with powdered sugar dusted over the top. (I served with vanilla ice cream…it was perfect).