This post originally appeared on my fatherhood blog Real Men Drive Minivans on August 3, 2009.
When it is a Dutch Baby, of course!
But what exactly is a Dutch Baby? It is a sweet breakfast dish sometimes called a German pancake that resembles a yorkshire pudding or a popover and is derived from the German apfelpfannkuchen – now say that three times fast.
A Dutch Baby is formed from a thin batter that is baked in the oven at a high temperature. It will puff up while cooking and fall after it is done. Depending on what you use to cook it in you will have to really watch it because the sides can form very high peaks that will burn fast in the very hot oven.
When I asked my wife what she wanted for breakfast on Sunday, she said she would like a Dutch Baby. What was so funny about her nearly instantaneous response to my query was that I haven’t made on of these in over a year. Since I am not one to disappoint I searched for the recipe I used back then, but for some reason couldn’t find it.
The closest that I was able to find was on the Food Network site, and the recipe you see below is a modified version of it. A quick search for a Dutch Baby will net you a number of recipes with a very similar formulation, so I knew that my modifications would produce a solid result.
I served it up with a touch of butter, a sprinkling of powdered sugar and maple syrup. Unfortunately, little man wasn’t as into it as we was into drinking Mommy’s glass of milk. Still, he seemed to enjoy his first taste of a Dutch Baby.
Hardware
10″ Cast iron skillet, Dutch oven or oven safe nonstick pan
Medium mixing bowl
Measuring cups (liquid and dry measure)
Whisk
Software
3 eggs (at room temperature, if possible)
3/4 cup milk (warmed)
3/4 cup flour
4 tablespoons butter (2 melted, 2 reserved)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon (sliced into wedges, as a garnish)
Powdered sugar
Assemblage
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
- Put your skillet or pan in the oven to heat with the oven
- Crack the eggs into the mixing bowl
- Warm the milk in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds
- Add the warmed milk a little at a time to the eggs and whisk to combine
- Slowly add the flour, salt, sugar and vanilla extract to the egg and milk mixture
- Add the melted butter and combine
- When the oven is up to temperature, take the skillet or pan (don’t forget those oven mitts!)
- Add the reserved butter to the pan and use to coat the bottom and sides
- Pour the batter, which will be very thin, into the coated pan
- Return the pan to the oven and cook for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on your oven
Presentation
The classic presentation of a Dutch Baby is to dust it with some powdered sugar and serve with some lemon wedges. A quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the Dutch Baby gives it a very bright flavor.
Another serving option is to incorporate some fruit into the dish you could caramelize a peeled and diced apple with some butter and brown sugar. While the compote idea is a good one, it can be a little rich for breakfast. Alternatively, you could slice up, or even macerate, some fresh fruit and serve it with a little maple syrup.
If you give this, or anything else here, a try I’d love to hear from you about how you liked it or what you may have done differently to fit your tastes.
Photo by joyosity
About PJ Mullen
