Recipes

From British Regional Food by Mark Hix

Mark says "If you know you international puddings, then you may just recognise this one from across the water in France; yes it’s a kind of clafoutis – in fact, it is clafoutis and, inevitably, the old question is raised, who originated it? Well, this one is definitely Kentish and a simple dessert to use up just some of those excess summer cherries."

Serves 4

    25g melted butter, plus more for greasing
    50g plain flour
    50g caster sugar
    2 eggs, beaten
    250ml single cream, warmed
    1 tbsp cherry brandy
    A few drops of vanilla essence
    450g ripe red or black cherries, stoned
   
    Icing sugar for dusting
    Thick cream to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6 and grease a round ovenproof dish or tart tin or, better still, a non-stick one.

Sieve the flour into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Mix in the eggs and slowly whisk in the cream to form a light batter. Stir in the cherry brandy, vanilla essence and melted butter.

Scatter the cherries over the prepared dish or tin and pour in the batter. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the oven down to 190C/gas mark 5 and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until the batter has risen and is golden, but still creamy inside.

Dust with icing sugar and serve hot or warm from the dish with thick cream.