Cherry Clafoutis

Step 1

Set the oven to 375°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.

Step 2

Place the 2 tablespoons of butter inside a 9-inch round baking dish and put the dish in the oven for 2 minutes until the butter melts and coats the bottom, then remove it carefully using oven mitts.

Step 3

Pat the cherries dry with paper towels and scatter them evenly across the bottom of the buttered baking dish in a single layer.

Step 4

Crack all 3 eggs into a medium bowl, add 0.5 cup sugar and the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, then whisk vigorously with a fork until the mixture looks pale and frothy, about 90 seconds.

Step 5

Sift the 0.75 cup flour directly into the egg mixture by holding a fine-mesh strainer over the bowl and gently tapping the bottom, so the flour falls evenly and breaks up lumps as it falls.

Step 6

Pour the 1 cup milk into the flour-egg mixture, then whisk everything together until completely smooth with no white flour streaks or lumps, about 1 minute — this is the batter.

Step 7

Slowly pour the batter over the cherries in the hot baking dish, tilting the dish gently so the batter flows around them and settles evenly without displacing the fruit.

Step 8

Place the baking dish in the preheated 375°F oven and bake for 30–35 minutes until the top turns the color of warm honey and springs back when you press it lightly with your finger, with the center still slightly jiggly.

Step 9

Remove the clafoutis from the oven using oven mitts and let it rest on the countertop for 5 minutes — it will continue to set slightly as it cools.

Step 10

Dust the top evenly with the 1 tablespoon powdered sugar by holding a fine-mesh strainer 6 inches above and gently tapping until a thin white layer covers the surface.

Step 11

Slide a long knife around the inside edge of the baking dish to loosen the clafoutis, then cut it into 6 equal wedges by making straight cuts from the center like slicing a pie.