Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wood Fired Cherries!

Last summer when Karl brought a really big box of cherries home from "Apple Joe" I told him no way, I am not pitting cherries! Somehow he convinced Amanda it would be fun and I sent the two of them outside to the picnic table. I remembered the year before cleaning cherries stains from everything in my kitchen and a ruined t-shirt I was wearing! I wish I would have taken some pictures of the two them pitting cherries. I never thought I would be writing about cherries in our Roundboy Oven!


This summer I will take some pictures and I may even help them out. Cherry Clafouti from my favorite recipe book THE ART OF WOOD FIRED COOKING by Andrea Mugnaini was so worth the mess of pitting cherries. I did come across a cherry pit in my piece of this fabulous dessert. My mother tells me every time I bake with our cherries that finding a pit tells you it is home made and delicious.
The oven was nice and hot from making pizza. We cooled it down to 375* and placed an upside-down pie pan under the cherry dessert to keep the bottom from burning.




A sprinkle of powder sugar and the cherry liqueur whip topping and it was perfect!
Cherry Clafouti from Andrea Mugnaini  and THE ART OF WOOD FIRED COOKING


1 TBL butter
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cream
2/3 cup sugar divided
4 eggs
2 TBL cherry liqueur
1/2 teas vanilla extract
1/8 teas salt
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 lb frozen pitted cherries
2 teas corn starch  
powdered sugar for dusting & optional whipped topping


Butter a 10 x 10 baking dish. Put the milk, cream,1/3 cup sugar, eggs, liqueur, vanilla, salt and flour in a blender and blend for 30 seconds to combine.


Toss the cherries, remaining sugar,and corn starch in a small bowl and transfer to the baking dish. Spread the fruit evenly over the bottom of the dish and gently pour the custard mixture over the top. Place in oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until just puffed, browned and set in the middle. The Clafouti will deflate as it cools, so, if possible serve warm directly from the oven, dusted with powder sugar and a dollop of whip topping.


Whipped Topping
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 TBL cherry liqueur   
1/2 teas vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream


Combine the cream cheese, sugar, liqueur and extract in bowl of a stand mixer. At medium speed beat the mixture until combined and softened. While the mixture is running, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until stiff peaks form.
serves 8