Cherry Clafoutis

It’s cherry season and the cherries are out in full force. I see them everywhere – at the farmer’s market, in the grocery stores, on street vendor’s tables – and they’re absolutely delicious! So dark and sweet and juicy.

I picked up a sackful from the store yesterday and decided to make them into a fresh cherry clafoutis (pronounced “clah-foo-tee“). I love clafoutis. Especially when it’s just out of the oven and served warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on the side. Yum! As an added bonus, it makes the house smell so good while it’s baking, too!

If you have a cherry pitter, use it. It sure makes the work of pitting each cherry a lot easier. I used to be the Room Mom for my kids’ kindergarten classes and one year, as a thank you gift, the children gave me a pretty white basket filled with fresh cherries. Tied to the basket’s handle with a red-and-white checkered ribbon was a silver cherry pitter. I still have that same cherry pitter to this day. It’s proven to be a mighty useful contraption over the years.

FRESH CHERRY CLAFOUTIS

• 4 cups fresh cherries
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 can evaporated milk (or 2 cups fresh milk)
• 1 cup butter, melted
• ¼ cup demerara sugar (or plain white sugar), optional

1. Wash, stem, and remove the pits from the cherries. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9×13 pyrex glass baking dish.
3. Using a wire whisk, whisk the sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
4. Empty the can of evaporated milk into a measuring cup and add enough water or fresh milk to make it amount to 2 cups.
5. Add the milk and melted butter into the flour mixture and whisk together well. Batter will be thin.
6. Pour batter into prepared baking pan.
7. Scatter the cherries over the top of the batter, distributing them evenly so you get a cherry in every bite.
8. Sprinkle the top with the ¼ cup demerara sugar, if using.
9. Bake for about 50 minutes or until top turns light brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

NOTE:  You can make this clafoutis with blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches or any other fruit you like.

This recipe can easily be halved and baked in a 9-inch square pan for a smaller clafoutis.

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Chocolate Cobbler

A cobbler is an old-fashioned American dessert that’s been around since the 1800’s. It’s traditionally made with fruit, like peaches or blackberries, that are baked in their juices and topped with a cakey or biscuit-like dough. There are different variations on how the topping is made depending on where you’re from.

A chocolate cobbler breaks from tradition in that it isn’t made with fruit, but as far as making it goes, it’s just as easy to put together as any fruit cobbler and it’s every bit as delicious! Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, it’s absolutely to die for. Whenever I make this, it disappears almost as soon as it comes out of the oven!

CHOCOLATE COBBLER

• 2 sticks butter
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 1½ cups self-rising flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• ¾ cup evaporated milk

For the Chocolate Layer:

• 1 cup sugar
• 6 Tbsps. cocoa powder
• 2 cups boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Place the 2 sticks of butter into a 9×13 pyrex glass baking dish and put in the oven to melt.
3. While butter is melting, stir together 1¼ cups sugar, flour, vanilla and milk in a bowl.
4. Pour the batter over the melted butter. Do not stir!
5. In another bowl, mix the 1 cup sugar and cocoa powder together, and sprinkle on top of the batter. Again, do not stir!
6. Pour the boiling water on top of everything. Resist the urge to stir! Just don’t do it!
7. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until you have a nice golden brown crust on top.
8. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Easy Peach Cobbler

I love peach season…. the hot summer days when the peach trees are heavy with fruit just waiting to be harvested. And what could be better on a balmy summer’s evening than a dish of warm peach cobbler with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on the side? The amazing smells that fill the kitchen as the cobbler bakes make you drool with anticipation.

If you have the time and some of those fresh summer peaches I mentioned, by all means go ahead and use them. They’re so delicious, you won’t regret it. That being said, this recipe is “easy” because it uses canned peaches. No need to peel, slice, or cook them. Can’t beat the ease and convenience of that on a lazy summer day!

EASY PEACH COBBLER

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large can (28-ozs.) sliced peaches, undrained
• 1 medium can (15-ozs.) sliced peaches, drained
• cinnamon, for sprinkling over top (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Melt butter in a 9×13 baking dish in the oven.
3. While butter is melting, drain syrup from medium size can (15-oz.) peaches and discard syrup or save for another use.
4. Using a wire whisk, stir sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt together very well in a medium bowl.
5. Slowly add milk, stirring continuously until well combined.
6. Pour batter directly over melted butter in baking dish. Do not stir!
7. Carefully spoon drained peaches from medium 15-oz. can on top of batter. Do not stir!
8. Then gently add the peaches with the syrup from the large 28-oz. can. Again, do not stir!
9. If desired, sprinkle cinnamon (as much as you like) over top.
10. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.
11. This is great served warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

NOTE:  If you prefer to use fresh peaches for this recipe, you’ll need 4 cups of peeled, pitted and sliced peaches (about 5-8 peaches depending on how big your peaches are). Place the peach slices in a saucepan with 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will use the peaches with the syrup for this recipe.