Sunday, December 8, 2013

Ginormous Pancake aka Dutch Baby Pancake

I love special and fun traditions, especially those that revolve around cold weather and/or holidays. One of my favorites was one my first grade teacher had for every first rainy day of the month. I grew up in southern California so it only really rained in the fall and winter months (I was shocked to discover when I got older that most areas of the U.S. have rain year round). And every first rainy morning of the month my teacher would bring in a huge urn of hot chocolate and bags of marshmallows. You had the option of bringing in your own mug and I always brought in my beloved mug with my name on it (I have an unusual name so this mug I found in Solvang, CA was a treasured possession!). This simple and yet awesome tradition made a dreary and rainy school day seem so special.

Now that I live on the east coast where it rains so much, I don't really make a big deal out of a rainy day other than to chase around my wet pugs with paper towels as I try to dry them off. But now my CA rainy day equivalent is a snow day! There's nothing better than the first few snowy days in a winter, especially if it means cancelled work or a late arrival! Sadly, today's wintry mix is on a Sunday but I still wanted to do something special for it. Usually I make a fun breakfast for a snow day, like a breakfast sandwich or pancakes. And now I'm adding this ginormous pancake aka Dutch baby pancake to my snow day routine!  This is best served right away but it's super easy to put together and quick to bake. What could possibly be better than eating this delicious pancake on a cold, snowy day, except for maybe sipping a steaming cup of hot chocolate with melting marshmallows on top in a special mug with your name on it?

Servings: 2-4 (or if you're feeling really glutinous 1 - shhh, I won't tell!)

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar and lemon wedges for topping
(Can top instead with maple syrup or fruit)

Instructions:

  • Place oven-safe skillet in the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees 
  • In a large bowl whisk 2 large eggs and 1/2 cup milk until light and frothy.
  • Add 1/2 cup flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and whisk together until well mixed and smooth (a feat I still am never able to fully achieve). Let the mixture sit at room temperature while you wait for the oven to reach temperature.
  • Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and add 1-2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Swirl the butter around to coat the entire pan.
  • Pour batter into the skillet and place back in the oven to bake for 12-18 minutes until pancake has puffed and is golden brown.
  • Sprinkle with powdered sugar, squirt a bit of lemon juice on top, and serve immediately (you can slice it up into wedges for serving).
  • [Alternatively: you can top instead with maple syrup or fruit.]
As soon as I go into the kitchen to cook, Sunny assumes her usual pathetic begging pug position. She alternated between looking sadly at the ground, resting her chin on the drawer handle, and staring up at me with her sad lil eyes.
Ahhh fresh out of the oven!
I like topping my pancake with powdered sugar and some squirts of a lemon wedge, but you can top it with lots of other things like maple syrup or your favorite fruit.
Ah nothing like a fun and delicious breakfast/brunch on a cold snowy day!
The begging pugs are back.
Rosy really really wanted to try some of this. She was begging more for this than a lot of my other savory dishes!
Trying to sneak a lick!
Sunny's eyes here crack me up!
Maybe I should rename these Pug Baby pancakes?

For those wondering, a quick internet search informed me that Dutch Baby pancakes are actually of German-American origin and the name is the result of a misinterpretation of the word "deutsch" for "Dutch" (like the Pennsylvania Dutch).

3 comments:

  1. this looks so good! and love the pugs following you closely hehe.
    -- jackie @ jade and oak

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  2. Little poor dogs! they may only smell :(
    ciao from Italy

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  3. Lol! Food looks yummy and the pugs are adorable!! I want a pug! I'm not sure I could resist their big wanting eyes :-)

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