My Revised Tartine Cherry Clafoutis

It is hard to believe that it has been 6 years since I first had cherry clafoutis. If you have never had clafoutis, it is not only delicious but extremely easy to make. Yes, cherries are a pain to pit, but you can do as the French do and leave the pits in or if you don't even want to think about pits, you can make it with another sort of fruit. Apricot clafoutis is very good and I think olallieberry would be outstanding.
The recipe I have used previously was straight from the Tartine dessert cookbook. I have now made a couple of changes and even so they deserve major credit for the recipe I now feel it is mine.

Cherry Clafoutis
2 cups whole milk (I used Jersey milk, which is richer than milk from other cows. You might want to add a bit of cream.)
2/3 cup sugar (I used organic)
1 vanilla bean, split
pinch salt
3 whole eggs
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons kirsch
2 cups cherries, pitted or not. If the cherries are pitted add a few finely chopped almonds
1/4 cup sugar for topping
Preheat oven to 425º. Butter a 10" ceramic quiche mold or pie dish.
In a small saucepan, combine milk, 2/3 cup sugar, vanilla bean, salt, and butter. Place over medium heat and stirring to dissolve the sugar, heat to just under a boil. While the milk mixture is heating, break 1 egg into a heatproof bowl, add the flour gradually and whisk until free of lumps. Add the remaining 2 eggs and whisk until smooth.
Remove the pan from the heat and slowly ladle the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean into the mixture and add the kirsch. Pour into the mold and add the fruit, making sure that it is evenly distributed. Place the pan on a shelf in the middle of the oven.
Bake the clafoutis until it is just set in the center and slightly puffed and browned around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove it from the oven, turn up the temperature to 500º. Evenly sprinkle the 1/4 cup sugar over the top. Return the clafoutis to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes to caramelize the sugar. Watch carefully as it will darken quickly. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve the clafoutis warm or at room temperature.
The clafoutis is at it's best by far the day that it is made, but it still tastes great the next day. It makes a wonderful breakfast if you are the type of person who enjoys pie for breakfast.