Kentish Cherry Batter Pudding
Kentish Cherry Batter Pudding is a close relative of Clafoutis. So close I wouldn’t be remotely surprised to learn it made it’s way to England via some invading Normans.
Clafoutis comes from the Limousin region of France and is made with griottes, or sour morello cherries. Traditionally, it’s a stone-in dessert. The cherry stone contains amygdalin which is an active chemical in almond extract and keeping them in adds a little something. Annoying, though. I haven’t got the hang of spitting out cherry stones elegantly … and I’ve reached an age and stage where I’m worried about my teeth.
(Incidentally, if you make it with a different fruit you should called it flaugnarde.) I have absolutely no idea why I retain that kind of information so effortlessly when working out how to use pdf on this blog is so entirely beyond me.
Kentish Cherry Batter Pudding is made with dessert cherries – which are much easier for me to get hold of. It’s ‘Kentish’ not so much because batter puddings are a Kent thing but because it’s the county where the cherries are grown. That’s Henry VIII’s fault. A gluttonous monarch, he instructed cherry trees to be planted in Tenyham, Kent, in 1533. Before the second world war there was something like 40 000 acres of beautiful cherry orchards in Kent, but the 12 metre-plus high cherry trees became uncommercial to harvest and 90% of the orchards vanished.
There were twenty tough years for the British cherry but now things are looking brighter, if not quite as photogenic. Cherries are grown on dwarf shrubs and the short season has been extended by using polytunnels. You can now buy British cherries from June to September – which is a source of great delight to my nephew, Josiah.
With the exception of the cherries themselves, a Kentish Cherry Batter Pudding requires store cupboard ingredients.
And a cherry stoner. Unlike it’s continental cousin, it’s stone out. I love my Westmark Cherry Stoner. It works.
One the advantages of removing the cherry stones is that the cherry is now receptive to receiving a spike of something. I steep my cherries in home-made cherry brandy. Kirsch would be good. Vanilla extract, I guess, would also be lovely.
Put the flour in a bowl, add the sugar and a pinch of salt.
Whisk the dry ingredients together. Add a splash of milk and one of the egg yolks.
When that’s lump free, add the second egg yolk and another splash of the milk. Whisk until there are no visible lumps.
Into the smooth mixture, add the remaining milk and melted butter. Drain the cherries and add any leftover brandy.
Batter done.
I use a 26cm pie dish (1.5 litres) to cook my batter pudding. Into the greased pie dish I place half the steeped cherries and give them 5 minutes in a hot oven.
Whisk the reserved egg whites to stiff peaks.
It’s easiest if you whisk in one third of the billowy egg whites before gently folding in the remainder.
Remove the pie dish from the oven and pour the soufflé-like batter on top.
Then, plop in the remaining cherries. Back into the oven.
Want a peak?
Exact cooking times will depend on your oven and you may have to fiddle a bit. In my conventional oven I bake for 20 minutes at 200ºC, then I lower the temperature to 190ºC/375ºF/gas mark 5 and cook for a further 20 minutes. (My oven is truly hopeless and I have to use an oven thermometer.)
In my Aga I cook for 10 minutes on the rack on the floor of the Roasting Oven and then place on the rack on the floor of the Baking Oven for 20 minutes. The depth of your dish will make a difference. You are looking for your batter pudding to be puffed up and golden with the custard just-set but still having a seductive wobble.
Dust with icing sugar.
Serve warm or room temperature. I like it warm best. With a vanilla custard or with cold pouring cream.
Eat.
Kentish Cherry Batter Pudding
Serves 6
- 500g/1lb ripe dessert cherries
- 1 tablespoon cherry brandy (or kirsch/almond extract)
- 50g/1½oz plain flour
- pinch of salt
- 50g/1½oz caster sugar
- 25g/1oz unsalted butter, melted
- 300ml/½pint full-fat milk or single cream
- 2 eggs, separated
Stone the cherries. Spoon over 1 tablespoon of cherry brandy and give the cherries a stir. Set aside to allow the cherries time to absorb the alcohol. (This can even be done the night before.)
Place the flour, salt and caster sugar in a bowl and whisk together with a balloon whisk.
Make a well in the centre and add one of the egg yolks, together with a splash of the milk/cream. Using the balloon whisk, start to incorporate the flour and whisk until there are no lumps. Add the second egg yolk and another splash of milk and continue whisking until you have a smooth thick batter.
Add the remaining milk, the melted butter and whisk together. (If you wish to get-ahead with the batter, it will sit in the fridge perfectly happily.)
Grease a 1.5 litre pie dish and drop half the soaked cherries in the bottom. Cook for 5 minutes in a 200ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6. (Aga: On a rack on the floor of the Roasting Oven.) Drain the remaining cherries and add the brandy to the batter.
Whisk the egg whites until the stiff peak stage. Whisk in one third into the batter and then, gently fold in the remaining two-thirds.
Take the hot dish from the oven and pour over the batter. Drop the second half of cherries over the top.
Back into the oven for a initial 20 minutes. (Aga: I find 10 minutes is enough for the batter pudding to be golden and puffed up.) Reduce the temperature to 190ºC/375ºF/Gas Mark 5 for a further 20 minutes. (Aga: Baking Oven for a further 20 minutes.)
Dust with icing sugar.
Eat.