Apple Clafouti Pie With Dried Cherries

Cuisine at Home

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• Filling

• 1⁄2 cup dried cherries
• 1⁄2 cup  apple liqueur or 1⁄2 cup apple brandy
• 4  jonagold apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (1 3/4 lb.)
• 1⁄3 cup  packed brown sugar
• 3  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1  tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1⁄2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

• Batter

• 4  tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (plus 1 T melted, for brushing pie plate)
• 3  eggs
• 1  cup half-and-half
• 2⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
•  ground  cinnamon-sugar mixture

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine cherries and liqueur in a small bowl; set aside to plump, 15-30 minutes.
3. Strain cherries, reserving liquid; set both aside.
4. Cook apples, brown sugar, 3 tablespoons butter, lemon juice, vanilla seeds, and reserved liqueur in a skillet over medium heat, until apples soften, 7-10 minutes.
5. Brush 9-inch deep dish pie plate with 1 tablespoon melted butter; heat in oven while blending batter.
6. Blend first 7 ingredients for batter until smooth and frothy; set aside.
7. Pour half the batter into heated pie plate.
8. Layer half the apples, (reserving apple juices) on top of batter followed by half the cherries.
9. Repeat layering with remaining apples and cherries.
10. Top with remaining batter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar; bake until golden and set in the center, 24-30 minutes.
11. Simmer reserved juices in a skillet until reduced by 1/3.
12. Serve warm clafouti drizzled with warm juices.