Cherry-Almond Clafoutis With Cognac

3.6 from 5 ratings

Clafoutis is a traditional dessert from the region of Limousin, in southwestern France. Cherries are placed in a buttered dish, topped with a flan-like batter and baked until the whole thing is puffed up and golden brown. The dessert is rustic, but somehow irresistibly beautiful and ambrosial, which is perhaps why it has acquired such fame. Here’s my twist on this beloved classic: I make individual-sized clafoutis and sprinkle the tops with sliced almonds and sugar crystals for a delicious crunchy bite. Then, I drizzle the clafoutis with cognac just before serving them. Made with sweet, meaty Bing cherries, every bite of these clafoutis is pure heaven.

Servings

servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup turbinado sugar
2 large eggs, preferably organic
2 large egg yolks, preferably organic
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
pinch of sea salt
unsalted butter, for the ramekins
1 pound bing cherries, pitted
2 tablespoon sliced almonds
2 teaspoon turbinado sugar
1/4 cup cognac
6 small scoops vanilla ice cream (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the almonds and flour. Process at high speed until finely ground, about 1-2 minutes. Set aside. Place the ground almond-flour mixture, sugar, eggs, egg yolks, cream, milk, almond extract, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk until the ingredients are well incorporated.
Butter six 1-cup ramekins. Spread the cherries in the prepared molds. Top with the almond-egg-cream mixture. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds and the sugar.
Bake until the tops are puffed and golden brown, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the clafoutis cool until warm. Drizzle with the cognac. Top with a scoop of ice cream if desired and serve immediately.