Clafoutis aux Cerises- Cherry, Lemon zest and Poppyseed Cake

This is a beautifully rich and moist cake with a hint of lemon, a sour bite of cherry, a nutty dash from poppy seeds and a perfect light and creamy finish through a splash of milk.

I'm fresh back from an incredible 14 day journey across Europe to my ultimate destination- Croatia. It was an absolutely extraordinary trip and I truly have so much to blog about. I feel like I took over 1000 pictures and I have so many recommendations from everywhere from Lyon, France to Slovenia and so many stories including facts about the cute little family we met in Vis, Croatia. We ate great, met amazing people, heard fascinating life stories of war and refugees in the bomb torn Syria and Bosnia and swam, snorkeled and floated in the bluest water I have ever seen.

I'm back in the Champagne region of France and spending my days relaxing in this little country town and cooking away. Tomorrow we have a picnic at the Pommery Champagne house followed by plans to bike to Champagne houses.

The family I'm staying with has a little plot in a community garden a few meters from the house. There is nothing that I adore more than taking a lingering pre- dinner stroll to the garden to pick something to cook with for the night. Sometimes I feel like I'm a retired 65 year old women in a 28 year olds body with my hobbies :)

This week there are tons and tons of haricot verts (green beans) and enough sour cherries or cerises to make so many different things. Yummmmm. We meandered around the garden and spent 30 mins balancing over a tiny chair and reaching up as far as our fingers could to pull at the branches and grab the cherries at the top of a cherry tree. We succeeded in picking a small bag of cherries and decided to make a dessert. I can't wait til the peaches get ripe enough to pick. We left with some haricot verts, a handful of daisy's for table decoration and some cherries. I've been eating the green beans with a dressing of shallot, garlic, mustard, and lemon infused olive oil) for presque tous mes repas (almost all my meals!). Yummmm not sick of them yet!

With my garden fresh treats I made a beautiful little cake today. I was inspired from my absolute favorite food blog Canelle et Vanilla. http://cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com/2009/08/red-currant-and-poppy-seed-cakes-arroz.html You have to check this blog out. Her pictures are beautiful and the food she makes is so glorious looking. Enjoy my adaptation of the recipe below.

Bisous

xx

Cherry and Poppy Seed Cake or Clafoutis aux Cerises

Should make 1 large cake or 3 small loafs

170g butter

250 grams sugar (plus more for dusting over the cherries)

Zest of 1 lemon

2 eggs

180 grams of milk or buttermilk if you have it

180 g flour

1 packet of levre en poudre or 4 grams of baking powder

pinch of salt

2 Tbls of Poppy Seeds

100 g or 2 big handfuls of deseeded cherries ( we used morello or sour cherries b/c it was what we have growing fresh but use whatever you find). You can also substitute raspberries here or another berry

Cream the softened butter with the sugar until it's light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest (this part is essential as it really brings out the flavors in the cake). Now add the eggs one at a time. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Add the milk and stir. Add the flour mixture slowly to the wet ingredients. Add the poppy seeds and fold in the cherries. Pour the batter into a well buttered cake pan or 3 loaf pans. Set the oven to 170 cel or 350 far and bake for 20-30 mins. The batter should be quite wet but not too too wet. If it looks too wet add a pinch more flour. The end product should be a beautifully rich and moist cake with a hint of lemon, a sour tint of cherry and the creaminess of the milk and nuttiness of the poppy seed.

Bon Appetit!!!