Ingredients

50ml milk
2 vanilla pods
3 eggs
80g caster sugar
30g crème fraîche
50g Maizena
100g ground almonds
50g melted butter
6-10 griottines (cherries)
50g flour
pinch of salt

Preparation

‘Split the vanilla pods in two. Bring the milk to the boil then add the vanilla pods and set aside to cool down. Put the eggs in a large bowl. Beat them together using a whisk with the sugar and a pinch of salt until quite thick and a white colour. Add the ground almonds to the mixture and stir again. Add the crème fraîche and finally the Maizena. Give it a good stir and make sure the mixture is homogenous (with no lumps!). Finally, pour the milk over and stir the whole mixture gently. Get some ramekin dishes or a flat egg plate, butter them and add flour. Tap them with your hands to get rid of excess flour. Put in between 6-10 griottines then pour over the mixture. To have a well-balanced result, try and fill the mixture up to two-thirds of the dish. Cook the clafoutis in a pre-heated oven at 190°C for 15-20 minutes. Put a knife inside your clafoutis and the blade should be clean when coming out, if not your clafoutis is not quite ready. Take out of the oven and set aside until ready to eat. Clafoutis can be enjoyed still warm or at room temperature. Sprinkle some sugar on the top before eating.’

Fred's Christmas:

‘Christmas for us in the trade is a very special time because it is a rare occasion to spend a few days where 100% of this time is dedicated to my kids. It is also a lazy day where Betty and I and our two young teenagers will just wander about the house all day. Kids having priority at this precious time, they are usually the ones who decide on, make, and serve the desserts for Christmas. Last year, Matilde’s choice was a clafoutis with griottines and a slowly-baked rich chocolate tart for Camile. Camile can’t do anything without chocolate. December has not been the right seasonal time for cherries, so we have opted for griottines instead which are cherries macerated in old Kirsch syrup. Of course, if griottines are not available then dried prunes can also be used, or in fact any other seasonal fruit. I think to make it a success, this dessert and Christmas dinner have to be as simple as possible so as to be made as quickly as possible …’