Black Cherry Clafoutis with Kirsch Chantilly

⏱ 60 min · Serves 6

A wobbling, custardy bake straight from the Limousin — sweet black cherries suspended in a golden, almost-pancake batter, dusted with icing sugar and served warm with a loose, boozy kirsch cream that melts into every spoonful. Rustic, generous, and quietly impressive.

Per serving: 475 kcal · 8.5g protein · 42.0g carbs · 30.0g fat

Ingredients

• 450g cherries, stoned (fresh or frozen and thawed well-drained)
• 2 tbsp kirsch, plus 1 tbsp for the cream
• 3 large eggs
• 100g caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp for the dish
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
• 60g plain flour
• 30g ground almonds
• pinch of fine salt
• 250ml whole milk
• 50ml double cream
• 30g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for the dish
• 200ml double cream, well chilled (for the chantilly)
• 1 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

Method

1. Toss the stoned cherries with 2 tbsp kirsch and set aside to macerate for 20 minutes.
2. Heat the oven to 180C fan/200C/gas 6. Generously butter a 24cm round baking dish or cast-iron skillet and dust with 1 tbsp caster sugar, tapping out the excess.
3. Whisk the eggs and 100g caster sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Whisk in the vanilla and almond extract.
4. Sift in the flour, add the ground almonds and salt, and whisk to a smooth thick paste. Gradually whisk in the milk, then the 50ml cream and the melted butter, plus any kirsch drained from the cherries. The batter should be the consistency of single cream.
5. Scatter the cherries evenly in the dish, then pour the batter gently over them.
6. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until puffed, deep golden at the edges and just set with a slight wobble at the centre. A skewer should come out clean-ish.
7. Meanwhile, whip the 200ml chilled cream with the icing sugar and 1 tbsp kirsch to soft, floppy peaks — stop while it still slumps off the spoon.
8. Let the clafoutis settle for 10 minutes (it will sink a little, as it should), dust heavily with icing sugar and serve warm with big spoonfuls of the kirsch chantilly.