Cherry Clafoutis

A few years ago I gave my mom a cherry tree for Mother’s Day. It was a stroke of genius. Now every year my mom sends me several pints of cherries that she cans. What started out as a gift for mom turned into a gift for me. The pint jars are full of ruby red sour cherries. They make a beautiful addition to the pantry — lined up in a row on the top shelf they are a constant reminder of home. And every time I open the pantry door I start to think about what I can do with all those cherries.

The first jar had to be used for something special, but I couldn’t think of a thing to make. I realized that I’ve never cooked with cherries. Usually when I buy them, I can’t resist eating them as is. They are always gone in a flash leaving no time to create anything with them. That being the case, the plan was to go with something classic. Is there anything more classic than cherry clafoutis?

Before this experiment, I had never had clafoutis so I had no idea what to expect. Everything I read indicated that I would end up with something between cake and custard. I was excited and so was S. The batter was simple to make, and it’s always fun to cook with whole vanilla beans. They fill the house with their lovely fragrance. I bought mine not too long ago from Penzeys Spices, and I never skip a chance to use them in something. It always feels extra special to make a dish with whole vanilla beans. The little black seeds were speckled throughout the batter, and the rich vanilla flavor they added to the finished clafoutis was delightful.

Now for the bad news. Both S and I were underwhelmed. The finished product was much more custard than cake (I’m sure this depends on the recipe you use). If custard isn’t your thing then this clafoutis is not for you. That said, I wasn’t completely disappointed. The cherries tasted fantastic, and the vanilla was very nice. I think S was right when he said that if you are not a custard lover then this dish won’t make you one. Sigh. I still have lots of jars of cherries left and maybe next Mother’s Day I’ll give my mom an apple tree.

Clafoutis
Excerpted from Tartine

2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 vanilla bean
pinch of salt
3 whole large eggs
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups cherries, pitted
1/4 cup sugar for topping

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 10-inch ceramic quiche mold or pie dish.

In a small saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean, and salt. Place over medium heat and heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar, to just under a boil. While the milk mixture is heating, break 1 egg into a heatproof mixing bowl, add the flour, and whisk until the mixture is free of any lumps. Add the remaining 2 eggs and whisk until smooth.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Slowly ladle the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Pour the mixture into the prepared mold and add the fruit, making sure that the fruit is evenly distributed.

Bake until just set in the center and slightly puffed and browned around the outside, 30-35 minutes. Remove the custard from the oven and turn up the oven temperature to 500 degrees. Evenly sprinkle the sugar over the top of the clafoutis. Return the custard to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to caramelize the sugar. Watch carefully, as it will darken quickly.

Let the custard cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Chocolate Friands

It’s been a busy, busy week and tomorrow S and I leave for Florida for his youngest brother’s wedding (very exciting!). But before we head out of town, I have to share this recipe for Chocolate Friands. I have confessed many times my dislike of chocolate, but I believe I have stumbled upon the recipe that has changed my mind.

I don’t often make chocolate things but as S was celebrating his 30th birthday last weekend, I knew I needed to bake something to please his palate. Chocolate he requested so chocolate it would be. I recently picked up a copy of Tartine and remembered pausing at the recipe for Chocolate Friands (friand is French for “small mouthful”).

I love to bake cakes but with just the two of us we usually never make it beyond a few slices. The rest of the cake hangs around the counter begging to be eaten. With any luck the remainder finds its way to friends and neighbors.

The friands remind me a bit of brownies–the best brownies I’ve ever made (without question). I worried that the crown of ganache would be overkill, but I was mistaken. The friands weren’t too sweet at all. The tiny treats were perfect for S’s birthday celebration.

These were a delight to make-buttering and flouring the molds and filling them with the thick chocolate batter. Be forewarned–if you use smaller molds, the recipe will produce quite a lot. We were up to our elbows in friands, but they keep in the refrigerator for up to five days. And it’s much easier to share a cute little brownie with the co-workers than a half-eaten cake.

Chocolate Friands
Excerpted from Tartine by Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson

Batter:
6 oz, bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup, unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups plus 1 tbsp, sugar
3/4 cups, ap flour
2 tbsp, cornstarch
1/4 tsp, salt
4 large eggs

Ganache
4 oz, bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup, heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line up 24 mini-muffin-cup paper liners on a baking sheet, or butter and flour 24 mini-muffin-tin wells, knocking out the excess flour.

To make the batter, place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until very hot. Pour the butter over the chocolate and whisk or stir until smooth. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt and mix well. Add teh flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in 3 batches, whisking well after each addition. Add 2 of the eggs and whisk until combined, and then add the remaining 2 eggs and whisk just until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Transfer the batter to a liquid measuring cup for pouring, and fill the cups three-fourths full. Bake until the cakes just start to crack on top, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, adn then unmold them if you have baked them in the muffin tins and let cool completely. If you have baked them in the paper cups, just let them cool in the cups.

To make the ganache, place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to just under a boil in a small saucepan. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for a minute or two. Stir gently with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Make sure the friands are cool before dipping them into the ganache. Holding each friand by its sides, dip the top into the ganache and then shake gently to let the excess run off the side. Return the friand to the rack and let the ganache set up in a cool place for about 1 hour.

Don’t put the friands in the refrigerator to set up if your kitchen is hot because condensation will form on the tops when you take them out, ruining the smooth look of the ganache. The only way to avoid the condensation is to place them in an airtight container before putting them in the refrigerator adn then to leave them in the refriderator and then leave them in the container when you remove them from the referigerator until they come to room temperature, or to serve them right away.

Serve the friands within a day of making, or store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.