This week's work ·
Early cherries and a bowl of clafoutis batter
Pitting the fruit takes more attention than mixing the custard. Give both jobs some counter space, and choose the bowl for a comfortable whisk rather than a bigger promise.
The first cherries make a small kitchen project feel timely. Set a bowl beside the work surface for the stones, another for the fruit, and leave a clear place for the baking dish. One person can pit while the other measures the custard ingredients. Check the cherries carefully before they reach the dish; a hidden stone is an unwelcome part of dessert.
Clafoutis has a short batter method, but the finish deserves attention. A browned top does not tell you that the egg mixture is cooked in the middle. Let the custard set, check its temperature, then give the dish its cooling time. Serve warm from a trivet with a proper serving spoon, not straight from an oven-hot pan balanced between people.
Buy for whisking, not for the custard
A roomy mixing bowl and an ordinary whisk are enough for this batter. If you need a nesting set, the mid-priced Cuisinart stainless steel mixing bowl set with lids and higher-priced OXO Good Grips blue-and-gray three-piece set cover comparable preparation jobs. Both list nominal capacities of 1.5, 3 and 5 US quarts; leave space above the mixture for whisking. These are not measured working volumes.
Cuisinart includes lids. Its depth and compact nesting are useful when the same bowls will do other preparation through the week. The covers do not make a reliable sealing promise: some fit snugly, while others fit poorly. Rust-like spotting is also a concern. Check the bowls and covers rather than assuming stainless means trouble-free care.
OXO adds plastic exteriors and non-slip bases around its stainless interiors, with no lids in this set. The steadier base is a sensible upgrade if chasing a bowl around the counter is your particular annoyance. Its substantial feel will not suit every pair of hands. Water can also become trapped inside the outer shell, including with hand washing. That is a meaningful compromise for a bowl bought to make kitchen work easier.
Our lean is toward Cuisinart if ordinary mixing already feels comfortable and covered preparation will be useful. Choose OXO for grip, accepting its weight and shell-water drawback, rather than expecting a finer custard or longer service life. Neither set goes into the oven for this recipe. Keep the oven-safe baking dish as a separate tool, and use the bowls you already own if they suit the work.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare both choices.
| What matters | Cuisinart Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls with Lids | OXO Good Grips stainless mixing bowls — Blue/Gray |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | mid-priced | higher-priced |
| Construction | Stainless steel; grade not specified | Stainless steel interiors; plastic exteriors; non-slip bases; steel grade not specified |
| Included pieces | Three nesting bowls with matching storage lids | Three nesting bowls without lids; non-slip bases |
| Best fit | Covered prep when all lids seat properly | Grip while mixing, with separate food storage |
| Worth knowing | Inconsistent lid fit and rust-like spotting; dry under rims | Substantial feel not for everyone; water can become trapped between shell and steel, including after hand washing |
| Care | Dishwasher-safe per manufacturer; inspect and dry before nesting | Dishwasher-safe per manufacturer; water inside shell needs seller/manufacturer resolution, not a promised washing-method fix |
| Stated capacities | 1.5, 3, 5 US quarts | 1.5, 3, 5 US quarts |
02 · The recipe
Early cherry clafoutis
Pitting the fruit takes more attention than mixing the custard. Give both jobs some counter space, and choose the bowl for a comfortable whisk rather than a bigger promise.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Yield
- One9-inch clafoutis, approximately6servings
- Cool
- 10 min
Approximate planning times, including stated cooling; actual batch count, fruit preparation and dish geometry can increase elapsed time.
What you'll need
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh cherries, pitted
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, for the dish
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Useful equipment
- Cherry pitter or other suitable pitting tool
- Mixing bowl and whisk
- Suitable9-inch oven-safe pie or shallow baking dish with headroom
- Small additional buttered oven-safe dish if required
- Food thermometer
- Oven mitts, cooling rack and trivet
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Use the melted butter to grease a suitable 9-inch oven-safe pie or shallow baking dish. Check that it has room for the fruit and batter with space below the rim; butter an additional small oven-safe dish if needed.
- Wash and pit the cherries, checking for remaining stones. Arrange them in a single layer in the prepared dish; divide between dishes if necessary rather than piling fruit above a safe fill level.
- In a roomy bowl, whisk the eggs and the 1/2 cup sugar together. Whisk in the cream and milk, then the flour, salt and vanilla, until combined without large flour lumps. Do not taste the raw mixture.
- Pour the batter around the cherries without filling to the rim. Divide any excess fruit and batter into the extra prepared dish, and share the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over the top or tops. Bake on a stable oven rack; smaller portions may finish sooner.
- Begin checking at about 35 minutes; the main dish may take 35–40 minutes or longer depending on its depth. Bake until the custard is set rather than liquid, and a food thermometer in its center reaches 160°F. Allow 10 minutes to cool on a rack, dust with powdered sugar and serve warm on a trivet. Use oven mitts and warn anyone reaching toward the hot dish.
