Cherry Clafouti

I love clafouti because it's so rustic - no fancy technique required, just good ingredients mixed together and baked. The cherries create these lovely pockets of fruit throughout the custard-like base, and frozen cherries work just as well as fresh. It's the kind of dessert that feels both comforting and sophisticated.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups pitted cherries (frozen is fine)

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 T brown sugar

1/2 cup All-purpose flour, sifted

1/8 t salt

1 cup whole milk or Half & half

3/4 t almond extract

2 t vanilla extract

Powdered sugar (for dusting on top)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a 10x7 baking dish or a deep pie plate with non-stick spray or lightly coat with butter. Add cherries to dish.

Whisk eggs, both sugars and flour in a large bowl until smooth.

Add milk, extracts to the egg mixture and continue whisking (we like the Danish whisk) until smooth. Pour mixture into baking dish.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until lightly browned (a toothpick inserted in center should come out clean). Remove from oven and cool. The clafouti will puff up while baking and deflate while cooking.

Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Refrigerate leftovers.