The Parve Baker

Cherry Clafoutis

3 cups fresh cherries, pitted
10 tablespoons parve margarine, melted and cooled
3 eggs
½ cup sugar
1 cup unsweetened almond soy milk
½ vanilla bean

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Place the pitted cherries in a single layer in the bottom of an 8″ x 12″ baking dish.

Beat the eggs lightly. Add the flour. Whisk in the melted margarine, then gradually mix in the sugar and soy milk. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape the seeds into the batter with the tip of the knife and mix to combine.

Pour the batter over the cherries.

Bake at 400° F for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350° F. Bake for 35-40 minutes more. The clafoutis is ready when the tip of a knife comes out clean.

Remove the pan from the oven. Dust the clafoutis with additional sugar and let it cool for a few minutes. Serve warm.

Makes 8 generous servings.

A traditional clafoutis is made with cherries (3 cups = 1 pound = 80 cherries). Pears, plums, peaches, apricots, and blackberries can be used when they’re in season. There are probably as many recipes for clafoutis as people who make them. This one follows the process in Michel Roux’s Eggs and is similar to the way I learned in Monfort-sur-Argens from Irène Chriss and Brignoles’ chef, Michael Platon.