I love going to the Green Market in the summer months when the farm stands are bulging with beautiful summer fruits. I love red fruits especially, and the combination of cherries and plums is always a treat! Damson plums and sweet, black cherries make a great combination.
Cherry season is prime-time for clafoutis, a traditional French dessert in which the fruits are baked, suspended in a flan-like batter. There's no reason for those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities to forgo this seasonal treat. The recipe can be tweaked using a few different flours, including that of sorghum, a grass related to sugarcane. Milled sorghum flour is especially useful in gluten-free baking, as it contributes a cakey texture that isn't sticky, like white rice flour.
Of course, ready-made, gluten-free baking mixes can be used in place of the three ingredients listed here, but I prefer making my own combinations since most of the store bought mixes already contain xanthan gum, which I find isn't needed in everything.
Ingredients
- 2lbs Damson Plums
- 1lb black cherries
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 1 cup sorghum flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Wash and pit plums. Cut them into wedges. Wash and pit cherries.
- Combine fruits in a 2 quart, shallow baking dish, lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.
- In another small bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, and vanilla.
- Stir together the wet and dry ingredients, until a smooth batter forms.
- Pour over fruit.
- Bake in a preheated oven (or on a preheated barbeque grill) until custard is set and lightly browned.
- Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.