Cherry & Hazelnut Clafoutis
Cherries means summer, and when a friend dropped off a container of freshly-picked cherries I knew exactly what I would make with them. This gorgeous dessert cake has a custard-like texture and is barely sweetened with a little local honey. The eggs are from our backyard chooks and the milk from a local farm, plus I used freshly ground hazelnuts from a local grower too, so this is a very 'eat local' kind-a dessert. In fact, 'eat local as much as possible' is my mantra and I look forward to sharing more recipes in the same vein through the seasons.
Ingredients
- approx. 500g ripe cherries
- 4 free-range eggs
- 200 ml full cream milk [dairy-free use coconut milk]
- 2 tablespoons local honey or sweetener of choice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup ground hazelnuts almonds or standard white flour
- a pinch of sea salt
- 50 g butter melted [dairy-free use coconut oil]
Instructions
- Preheat oven 180°C. Generously grease a large tart dish with butter or coconut oil.
- Wash the cherries and dry in a tea towel. You can remove stones at this stage if desired. Arrange them in a single layer in the tart dish.
- In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, honey and vanilla extract. Add the ground hazelnuts, salt and melted butter and mix into a smooth batter. Pour batter over the cherries.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until just set, the middle can be a little wobbly. Leave to cool a little before serving, or serve cold. Will keep in the fridge for several days.