The first time you taste a husk cherry, your taste buds will buzz with pineapple, butterscotch, and mango. What looks like tiny cherry tomatoes encased in miniature paper lanterns is called a ground husk cherry, sometimes called a Cape Gooseberry, although no relation to cherries or gooseberries. They are related to tomatillo the tiny fruits turn golden yellow, falling to the ground when ripe.
The story behind Aunt Molly’s Husk Cherry comes from Suzanne Ashworth, author of Seed to Seed. She discovered the last of her Aunt Molly’s seeds in an envelope, planted them and began saving the seeds. When she had enough seeds to share, she gave them to the Seed Savers Exchange.
One plant yields about 100 or more ripe fruits in late fall. Eat fresh off the vine, yet baked in this classic Clafoutis, they soften into a thick crepe batter, for a simple dessert or lingering over breakfast.
Husk Cherry Clafoutis | Serves 8
2-tablespoons butter
3 cups ripe Aunt Molly’s ( or other heirloom) husk cherries
6 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup white unbleached flour
1 ¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons kirsch
1-tablespoon vanilla extract
6 eggs
1/8 cup confectioner’s sugar
Preheat over to 425.
- Butter a medium cast iron skillet or 9 inch baking dish. Remove the paper husk from the ground cherries. Keep whole or cut in half.
- In the bowl of a blender, combine sugar, salt and flour, slowly pour in milk, kirsch vanilla extract and then eggs one at a time until fully blender until smooth, yet do not overbeat.
- Pour batter into the skillet and cover with the husk cherries evenly distributed over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Test with a skewer inserted into the batter, when it comes out clear and a golden crust has formed, it is ready. Run a butter knife around the edges and flip onto a serving platter or cutting board. Dust lightly with confectioners sugar and serve.
