By Francesca Patterson

I know I say this about a lot of produce, but this time I really mean it. Local cherries have to be one of my favorite summertime bounties. I rarely eat supermarket cherries when it’s not the season for them and they’re from the other side of the country. They just don’t have the same burst of sweet and tart juiciness as the ones you can find grown right here in our state. There’s quite a few fruit and veggies that are like that, but cherries are definitely one to savor the local season of.

Usually, when I get cherries from the farm stand, I either eat them on my way home or just snacking in front of the TV. Today, I decided to practice self-control and save them to make a comforting baked good. This clafoutis is a french-style tart, typically made with these types of cherries. This turns out like a custard-based cake, light, and creamy in texture and taste. Although it looks and sounds complex and luxurious, it might be the most effortless thing I have ever baked. Prior to this, I thought that a crumble was the easiest dessert to whip up. This totally beats that on simplicity. With just a few solid ingredients that most have in their home, a basket of cherries and about 10 minutes of prep time, you too can create this stunning and impressive tart. Perfect for the Fourth of July weekend or just any other day.  Read on to get the recipe for this.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 cups of sweet cherries (kept whole, pits removed)
• 1/8 cup of slivered almonds
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 dash of salt
• 1 cup milk
• 3 teaspoon almond extract
• 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• powdered sugar (for dusting)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Remove the pits from your cherries. Lightly grease a medium-sized baking dish with butter and a small amount of flour. Pour in your cherries and arrange them in a single layer, being sure that none are on top of each other.
2. In a large bowl, whisk your eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until you get a smooth consistency. Add in your flour & salt, and mix together thoroughly. Then, add your extracts and milk and whisk until everything is incorporated.
3. Pour this batter directly over your cherries in the baking dish. Sprinkle your slivered almonds evenly all over the top. Bake for 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. This will come out puffed and airy and will deflate while cooling. Dust a bit of powdered sugar on the top for presentation. Allow cooling for 10-15 minutes before serving as the cherries are hot. The bottom layer should appear as a custard consistency.