Bing Cherry Breakfast Clafoutis

Bing Cherry Breakfast Clafoutis

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts (see tip)
• 1 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) fresh whole cherries, pitted (see tip)

CRUMBLE TOPPING:

• 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk in the melted butter, eggs, egg yolks, cream, yogurt, lemon zest, seeds scraped from the piece of vanilla bean, and 1/4 cup of the chopped hazelnuts. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.

Butter six 4-ounce ramekins or a 6-cup baking dish, coat with sugar, and tap out the excess. Arrange the cherries in the bottom of the dish(es). Pour the batter over the cherries and bake for 20 minutes.


To make the topping: In a small mixing bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Drizzle in the butter and stir until evenly moistened.

Sprinkle the clafoutis evenly with the crumble, rotate the dishes from front to back, and continue baking until puffed, golden brown, and set in the center, 15 to 20 minutes more. Serve warm, sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts.


Tips

To toast the hazelnuts, preheat the overn to 350°F, spread the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast until fragrant and beginning to color, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool and finely chop.


Fresh, ripe, just-picked juicy cherries are the ultimate choice for this dish. If you have a farmers’ market close by, march your butt down there. Bings are perfect, but a combination of Bing and Rainier would be wonderful, too. Taste the fruit and make sure it’s sweet and flavorful, not watery. When fresh cherries are out of season, you can use fresh berries, sautéed applesor pears, or good-quality, organic frozen fruit.