Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Section
Clafoutis - Recipe - Dessert from Auvergne and Limousin
Clafoutis facts
The clafoutis is a traditional dessert from Limousin and Auvergne in Central France.
In some other regions, it is known as milliard or millard.
An authentic Limousin clafoutis is made with black cherries baked in a custard style batter.
The origin of the name, which can also be spelled clafouti, dates apparently from 1864.
It comes from the Occitan word clafotis, which evolved from clafir or claufir that means to fill.
You can replace the cherries with other fruits such as apples, plums and apricots if you want.
There are also many trendy variants.
You can indeed use different species of cherries and more sophisticated batter.
All these alternative recipes are very good, however, they don't produce a genuine Limousin clafoutis!
Clafoutis is a simple and quick dessert to bake, and here is the basic method, the best!
The trick for a perfect dish:
1- Don’t pit the cherries otherwise they'll lose their flavour.
2- Don’t slice them as their juice will turn the dough soggy.
Clafoutis recipe
Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 100g of flour
- 90g sugar
- 6 eggs
- 250cl milk
- 750g of black cherries (un-stoned)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 tiny glass of Kirsch (Cherry Brandy)
Method
Add the flour, eggs and sugar together in a large bowl
Mix them while pouring the milk gradually
Mix the batter until it has the consistency of pancake batter
Add the Kirsch
Grease a baking dish
Add the washed and stemmed but un-pitted cherries
Pour the batter over the cherries
Bake for 35 minutes in a hot oven
You can sprinkle icing sugar (optional) when it’s baked.
The clafoutis can be served cold, however, it is at its best and releases beautiful aromas and flavours when luck-warm!
Bon Appétit!
Photos Wikimedia Commons: photo#2
Palais Ideal du Facteur Cheval, the postman’s dream palace
Tournemire, one of the most beautiful villages in France
Collegiate Church of St Laurent d’Auzon in Auvergne
