Cherry Clafoutis

The markets have been flooded with cherries for a while and I have been wondering how to use them best, apart from eating. For a crazy baker like me, it is not best till they are used in a bake. And therefore the hunt began and I was amazed to find out that I had not yet tried this very simple but very famous French bake. 

Cherry Clafoutis or clafouti (kla-foo-tee) is basically a baked French dessert where cherries are arranged in a dish and covered with a pancake like batter. It is commonly eaten as breakfast too. 

Ideally the best variety of plump red cherries are used which are pitted and then tossed in a little butter and sugar.

The variety of cherries I got were definitely not the best and I had to spend some time pitting the seeds from them. But once that was done, the entire process was literally a cakewalk. 

Recipe adapted from : Joy of Baking

Ingredients : Serves 2

Batter : 

• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp milk (full cream)
• 1/2 tbsp melted butter
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Cherries : 

• 20-25 cherries, pitted
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar

Procedure : 

Preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius.

Take butter in a saucepan and add the pitted cherries to it. Sprinkle sugar and cook till the sugar melts. Remove from heat and keep aside.

Mix all purpose flour, sugar, egg, milk, butter and vanilla extract. 

Place cooked cherries in the tin of choice. I used my tart tins and covered the loose bottom with foil. You can use a ceramic ovenfree bowl too. 

Pour the prepared batter over the cherries and bake for 18-20 minutes or till the mixture has set. 

Serve with fresh cherries. 

Sending this recipe to KFB's ongoing event celebrating the Monsoons

Happy Clafouti baking

Amrita

Cherry Shortcake

Phases. We all get into it. Taking a break from the usual mundane thing that you do. At times even taking a step back from your most favourite thing. Changing the way you think (at least trying to). Looking things in a different light. We all have phases. I have this theory that we keep changing. Not only in our physical appearances but also in our thought processes. We keep running in and out of different phases throughout our lives.  

With all my ranting above, its time to admit that I have been in this phase of ignoring the baking groups that I have been a part of for the last 4-5 months. The basic reason for joining these groups was to bake along with equally passionate bakers and have the opportunity to experience new bakes. And I have learned so many new techniques and such a variety of amazing bakes. 

I finally decided that it was time to come out of my phase and pull up my lazy socks. A great way to start was to bake this month's challenge before anyone else did. Baking Partners challenge for this month was suggested by Reeni of Cinnamon spice and everything nice who encouraged us to try Berry Shortcakes. I noted down the recipe the moment it was shared (yes, I maintain a hand written diary) and decided to use cherries instead of the fancy blueberries, blackberries, raspberries suggested since we do not find them here. You can use any fruit in place of the berries like the way I used cherries. Summery stone fruits like plums, peaches will work great with this recipe. 

The shortcake is a really simple recipe and uses very easily available ingredients. You will require some whipped cream to fancy it up and that all about it. 

 Ingredients : Yields 3-4

• about 50 gm cherries
• 2 tsp + 1 tsp sugar
• 6 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 12 tsp melted butter
• 1/2 cup whipped cream

Procedure : 

Pit the cherries by removing the seed and then chop in halves. Toss 1 tsp sugar with the cherries and keep aside. 

Preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil.

In a bowl, sift all purpose flour, cornstarch, sugar and baking powder. Stir in the heavy cream a little at a time and moisten the dough. You may not need the entire quantity. 

Gently pat to a circle about 3/4" thick and use round biscuit cutters to cut them out. 

Gather the remaining dough to get some more. 

Dip the rounds in the melted butter and place on the prepared baking tray. Sprinkle sugar and bake for about 15 mins till they become puffy and golden in colour. 

Allow to cool.

Split shortcakes in half and spread whipped cream and prepared cherries. Top with some more. 

Happy Shortcake Indulging

Amrita

Teatime Cherry cake

The summers are officially over with the monsoons having arrived in a big way. The season of rains has been extra generous over most parts of India. With all the good things that the rainy season brings, like relief from the torturous summer's heat and rainfall for the crops, it also brings along a host of diseases. It is considered to be one of the worst time of the year to eat out, especially, from the roadside stalls because of the fear of receiving germs from contaminated water they usually use. Pools of water are the best place for viruses to thrive which kick starts the rounds of the dreadful viral sickness. 

Do not get me wrong, I personally love the season of rains and love all the yummy, warm and spicy food associated with it. This is the perfect time of the year to make fries at home and devour on hot soups and comforting Khichdis.

24th of every month is the day we celebrate as 'Sweet day' to remember the beautiful and joyous presence of our daughter Vaanya who was born on this date. Till she turned 1 year, we celebrated every 24 with either a homemade or a store bought cake. Since then, it has become a ritual for us to celebrate the day with something sweet. 

This 24 th however, our darling angel caught on the dreadful virus and had fever with a runny nose. It is one of the most helpless and miserable feeling to see your little one lying still in bed and having no strength to do her usual round of mischief. Thankfully the sickness was shortlived and she was back to her naughty self very soon.

This very simple cake uses the same recipe as my Comfort food-chocolate cake. This is an all time tried and tested recipe which is a family favourite. I made it in into a vanilla cake and added whole pitted cherries in the batter. The cake, as expected, was super soft and yummy. The addition of fresh cherries added that amazing zing to an otherwise normal vanilla cake. It is a perfect tea time cake being super easy and quick to make.

Ingredients : Makes a 9x4" loaf shaped cake

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 100 gms unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar, powdered
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• fresh cherries, pitted

Procedure :
Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius.
Grease and line a 9x4 loaf tin.
Mix butter and powdered sugar in a bowl and beat it with a spoon till it becomes creamy.  
Sieve refined flour and baking powder and keep aside.
Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl.
Now mix the flour mixture, beaten eggs and vanilla essence to the bowl of butter and sugar mixture. Mix it well so that no lumps are formed.
Pour 1/3 of the batter in the prepared baking tin. 
Add whole pitted cherries on top of the cake batter.
Pour another 1/3 of the cake batter and top with some more cherries. Finally pour the remaining batter.
Bake for 30-35 mins or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow to cool and slice this lovely cake.

This is a basic cake recipe where you may substitute the fresh cherries with Glacéd cherries or Tutti frutti or may leave it altogether.

Linking this recipe to Bake Fest #21 brainchild of Vardhini

Happy Cherry cake Eating

Amrita