Cherry clafouti

I'm not sure if the news has reached you yet, but this has been one insanely hot summer so far. I'm feeling pretty happy with my decision to buy a house without air conditioning. Smart move there, Jackson!

Needless to say, with all the stiffling heat and humidity, I've nearly forgotten how to cook things that involved the stove or oven. But a recent break in the temperature meant that I could venture into the kitchen again, and depart from my usual routine of sticking my sweltering head inside the freezer for hours at a time. (Just kidding, Hydro Ottawa!)

The project that lured me back? Yummy, easy cherry clafouti. Actually, I first made the recipe with raspberries, but we made it twice with cherries at the cottage last week, and I made it again this week. It's so very good, and incredibly easy to whip together. Aside from the fruit, you're likely to have everything you need on hand.

Clafouti -- essentially a custard-like, pancake dessert -- is a peasant dish, originating in France. Who says fancy and complicated is better anyway? Like many of the best recipes derived from simple ingredients, it's delicious.

Start by melting the butter in your pie plate while your oven's heating up. When that's done, dump the butter in with the other ingredients and add your fruit. No need to even pit the cherries. Apparently, it's traditional to keep the pits in, as they release a better flavour to the fruit when baked. Not sure if that's true or not, but it sure makes things easier.

Next, pour the custardy batter over the fruit, and scatter with a bit more sugar (in this case, the turbanado sugar I bought at the Lakefield Pantry last weekend).

Into the oven it goes for about 20 minutes until it's puffed and golden and smells terrific! You can broil at the end to brown up the top if you like, but most of the time, I find it's not needed. Just look at how the fruit stays suspended in the fluffy goodness. And those burnt bits at the edge? They're begging for you to nibble at while the whole thing cools.

I think you'll really, really like this recipe. It's not too sweet, and when you pull out the softened cherries to eat, you're left with little dimples of custardy goodness.

You can eat this warm, at room temperature, or even cold. It's good with a scoop of ice cream, or just fine on its own. Makes a mighty fine breakfast as well. Dig in!

Cherry clafouti (adapted from Martha Stewart's baked raspberry custard dessert)

Serves 6

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups cherries (or any other fruit you fancy, like raspberries or plums)

Directions

•Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In oven, melt butter in a 9-inch pie plate, about 6 minutes.

•In a blender, combine milk, eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla. Add melted butter and blend mixture until smooth, 30 seconds.

•Distribute cherries evenly in pie plate and pour batter over top. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar and bake until slightly puffed and just set in middle, 20 to 25 minutes. Heat broiler and broil until top is deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve warm.