02 May 2007
People call them 'Dutch Babies', 'German Pancakes' (and Finnish, etc, etc) -- but it's really just a Yorkshire Pudding for breakfast, and it's delicious!
Here's an easy recipe for a single-serving version:
Dutch Baby with Fried Apples
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup flour
1 apple, cored, sliced, peeled, and cut into chunks
caster sugar or cinnamon sugar for sprinkling
powdered sugar for dusting
Start the oven heating to 425F. Spray a small skillet (I used a 1.5 pint Corningware skillet) with oil or melt a tablespoon of butter and pour it in. Heat the skillet in the oven in advance; you want it to be nice and hot when you pour in the batter.
Beat the egg and milk together by hand. Mix them thoroughly, but don't let the mixture froth. Beat in the flour with an electric mixer (or by hand, but it's easier to avoid lumps with the electric). It will be a very thin batter. Add a pinch of cinnamon, if you wish. When the pan is hot, carefully take it out of the oven, pour in the batter, and place it back in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Do not open the oven door for at least the first ten minutes. It's either going to work or not, but you'll collapse your Baby if you trying peeking too soon.
While that bakes, heat a bit of butter up in a pan over a medium burner. Throw in the chunks of apple and keep an eye on them as they cook, turning them from time to time. Sprinkle over a bit of cinnamon sugar. After 5-7 minutes, when the apples are starting to get nice and tender, turn the burner off, remove the pan from the heat, and cover until the Dutch Baby is done.
When the Baby is finished -- puffed up nicely, golden on the edges, and not soggy in the middle -- take it out and watch it shrink. Place the apples in the hollow and dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!
That seems like a lot of words for what's actually a very simple process. You could fill the Baby with anything you want, of course -- I can't wait to try variations. It seems like an indulgent breakfast treat, like a waffle or pancake, but there's not much wrong with an egg, flour, and milk, is there? And only the tiniest bit of sugar to finish it off!
mmm...that looks good. Sorta reminds me of clafouti recipes, which I was planning on trying soon.
posted by sara at May 2, 2007 02:54 PM
You are amazing - one of my most favorite memories as a child is eating dutch babies and getting to have powdered sugar at breakfast. I have never just made them for me - I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE SINGLE SERVING!!! thank you!
posted by lia at May 2, 2007 04:20 PM
What a great and timely recipe for me to find. I have a bowl of pears needing to be baked into something. Thank you!
Your photography is stunning!
posted by Happy Zombie at May 2, 2007 05:50 PM
that just looks so good .. I'm definitely going to try it soon :)
posted by Tania Ho at May 2, 2007 07:22 PM
Being originally from england, it seems weird to put anything other than toad in it. Looks yummy though!
posted by sarah at May 2, 2007 08:54 PM
haven't had my breakfast yet, i think i will try to make this in a while - thanks! :)
posted by q at May 3, 2007 02:53 AM