Lychees, lychees, lychees. If you haven’t tried them now is the time. Lychees have an unusually bumpy/prickly peel that hides their sweet, juicy fruit that surrounds a ruby lacquered pit. I had never seen them before I stumbled across them in A-one grocery store years ago. But once I tasted their sweetness I was sold.
So you can imagine my delight when Oakley over at Frieda’s Produce offered to send me some. I couldn’t wait to dig in.
But then I got to thinking, what type of recipes use lychees? I had only eaten fresh lychees. Could I use them in a dessert for a luncheon with some food blogger friends?
My cursory search on the web pointed me to drinks and sorbets. Good thoughts but not what I was looking for. Then I remembered that Cathy from She Paused for Thought wrote a comment on my mango and cherry clafloutis about using lychees instead of mangoes. It’s good to know a friend who has traveled extensively and will eat just about anything…once. I was sold.
A word of advice, make sure you buy twice the amount of lychees than the recipe calls for, I peeled one for the recipe and one for me.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup all-purpose unbleached flour
- ½ cup toasted coconut
- 16 lychees peeled and pitted
- 16 or so dark sweet cherries, halved and pitted
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350
- Peel and pit lychees
- Slice and pit cherries
- Place first six ingredients in blender and puree (about 30-60 seconds)
- Place lychees on bottom of pie pan
- Arrange cherries on top of lychees
- Gently pour mixture over lychees and cherries
- Sprinkle coconut on top
- Bake 20-30 minutes To test insert toothpick into middle of clofloutis if it comes out clean it's done
Judy, what a creative pairing! I would never have thought to add lychees to a clafoutis. It looks spectacular, a perfect summer dessert.
I wish I could take credit for this creativity, although I will take credit for surrounding myself with creative people. And I include you in this group.
Peeling lychees and pitting cherries. You are a dedicated woman! GREG
I’m totally making this for the 4th!
xo
Thanks Janie. This is my go to, ‘what am I going to make?’ recipe. Just add any fruit and it’s a winner.
I tasted this and it’s so good! Looks impressive too! Win-win! 🙂
Divine! Beautiful & delicious!
Lychees and cherries. Now, why didn’t WE think of that pairing! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed the lychees.
In a weird turn of events, I can’t really eat more than one of them at a time now. I start to have the same reaction on my tongue the way I do with pineapples, and now also kumquats. …le sigh…
Oh no!!! So sorry. I get that reaction when I eat kiwis. Thanks again for the lychees.
I loved this recipe. It is the perfect ending to any meal.