Yes, I said “ground cherry” – not just plain old “cherry” (which aren’t in season now anyhow). Ground cherries are also known as “cape gooseberries” – not to be confused with real gooseberries, which are totally different.  Ground cherries look like little tiny tomatillos, complete with papery husks. From the research I’ve done, it seems that the tomatillo, the ground cherry, and even the garden ornamental called “Chinese Lanterns” are all in the same genus, although are different species. (Is biology class coming back to you?) They are also all in the same family – the nightshade family, of which the regular tomato, the potato, the eggplant, and several other common edibles are members. Anyway, I found ground cherries at the Farmer’s Market the other day and it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do with them. Last year I made a custard and ground cherry pie, which was good, but the eggy-ness of the custard overpowered the flavor of the ground cherries. Because they have a very unique taste (kind of like…pineapples…green tomatoes…and maybe strawberries all mixed up together), I wanted to make a baked good that would really highlight their flavor.

Unhusked Ground Cherries

Husked Ground Cherries

Which takes us to the second part of the title of this recipe: “clafoutis.” Sometimes spelled “clafouti” (and that is how it’s pronounced – the “s” is silent), it is sort of like a cross between a custard and a cake, and in the case of this recipe, a soufflé. (Am I scaring you? Don’t be afraid.) Normally clafoutis are a bit denser than the recipe I’m going to give you below, which is an adaptation from the lovely Chez Panisse Café Cookbook by the lovely Alice Waters. This recipe calls for separating the eggs, beating the sugar with the eggs first, and then folding the egg whites into the finished batter. It makes the clafoutis a little bit puffier and lighter in texture. It’s nice.

You could substitute frozen cherries for the ground cherries if they’re too hard to find. I wonder if tomatillos would work in a pinch? I made the clafoutis in five 3-inch ramekins, but you could make it in a larger soufflé or baking dish if you like.

Special equipment: a small baking dish or cake pan, five 3-inch ramekins

Serves: 5

Ingredients:

For the ground cherries:
3/4 pound ground cherries, de-husked and rinsed
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Butter for greasing the baking dish or cake pan

For the clafoutis batter:
2 eggs, separated
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
Butter for greasing the ramekins

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
2. Grease a small baking pan or cake pan large enough to hold all of the ground cherries in a single layer.
3. Combine the ground cherries, 1/3 cup sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in the greased baking pan.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the ground cherries are soft and the sugar has dissolved.
5. Drain the ground cherries, reserving any syrup remaining. Turn the oven up to 375°.
6. Lightly grease the ramekins with butter. Distribute the ground cherries evenly among the ramekins.
7. Combine the egg yolks and the 3 tablespoons sugar, and whisk together until the mixture lightens in color and looks creamy.
8. Stir in the flour, vanilla, and heavy cream and whisk until just combined.
9. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), combine the egg whites and a pinch of salt. Mix on medium-high speed until the whites reach the soft peak stage (when you lift the whisk out of the egg white mixture, the whites will form a peak that sort of droops over).
10. Add a couple tablespoons (you don’t have to measure, just estimate) of the egg whites to the batter and gently fold in to lighten; then gently but thoroughly fold in the remaining egg whites.
11. Divide the batter evenly among the ramekins.
12. Put the ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, or until the clafoutis have browned and puffed up. (They will deflate as they cool.)
13. Serve warm with a drizzle of the warm reserved syrup on top. A little powdered sugar would look nice, too.