Boy how time flies! It just seems like I was celebrating my third month with the Secret Recipe Club yet the fourth month is here already. If you are not familiar with The Secret Recipe Club, it is an online cooking group that each participant is assigned a “secret” blog each month. The secret is that each person doesn’t know who was assigned to their blog and what recipe that person will choose to create. If you are interested in getting involved in this fun group and meeting new food bloggers like yourself, check out the website.
This month I had the pleasure of being assigned Apron Strings. They have a tag line attached to their blog – “Cooking: it’s in our D & A”. I thought this was quite cleaver considering the D&A stands for Donna and Anne who are a reunited birth mother and daughter food blogging team. How cool is that? Donna and Anne have authored a cookbook together as well as creating this blog together.
Additionally Donna has authored several other cookbooks and Anne made it to a finalist in the hit show on Food Television – Ultimate Recipe Showdown. These two ladies certainly share the same D and A. After browsing through their extensive recipes, it was hard to narrow down however my mind was made up when I saw the Dutch Baby Pancake.
You might ask, what is a dutch baby pancake – if you have never experienced this delightful treat, I highly encourage you to make it soon. You might hear it referred to as German Pancake of Dutch Puff. It is very similar to Yorkshire pudding since it is made with eggs, flour and milk. Typically it is served with fresh squeezed lemon, powdered sugar and butter. In addition, it can be served with a fruit topping or syrup. I think it is a personal choice – quite frankly a generous sprinkle of powdered sugar and lemon, I am a happy camper.
A couple weeks ago it was hubby’s birthday. I shared the chocolate espresso cake that I made for him and I wrote in the post about a new breakfast place our neighbors took us out to breakfast to celebrate his birthday. It was called The Original Pancake House and they have locations in most states. I am not the breakfast food enthusiast that my hubby is, but this place impressed me. The selection was expansive, the service was spot on and the food was extremely tasty with large portions.
One of their signature dishes is The Dutch Baby Pancake and of course I had to have it. All I can say is – DIVINE! It was perfectly puffed, crispy yet chewy inside. They served a lemon sauce on the side that was too die for with zest of fresh lemon that just puckered your cheeks. If you have not been there before, check it out. Hope you like it as much as we did.
I have long wanted to make this breakfast delight at home so when I saw it on Donna and Anne’s blog, it was settled – that would be my entry for this month’s Secret Recipe Club. With such a simple recipe, I did not need to mess with perfection. The only variation was that I used salted butter versus unsalted. The cast iron skillet is the key to a perfect Dutch Baby. If you don’t own one, run to the store and pick one up. I actually purchased mine from TJ Maxx for about fifteen dollars.
I picked up a crate of fresh peaches from Trader Joe’s and thought that some spicy brandy peaches would be a perfect accompaniment for this delightful breakfast treat. You could use apples if peaches are not in season. Enjoy and be sure to check out Donna and Anne’s blog!
Dutch Baby Pancake
4 T. butter
4 large eggs
½ cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup half-and-half
For the topping:
Juice of 1 lemon
Powdered sugar
Spicy Brandied Peaches
1 Cup sliced fresh peaches
1 T. Sugar
1 T. Butter
½ t. Cinnamon
1 T. Brandy
In a medium sauté pan, melt the butter; add the peaches, sugar and cinnamon. Stir gently over medium heat and cook for a couple minutes. Remove the pan from the flame and add the brandy. Let cook off the burner for a minute and then return to heat through. Spoon gently into a small bowl to serve with the pancake.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Place a large cast iron skillet in the oven until very hot. Melt the 4 Tbs butter in the skillet. In a blender, whir together the eggs, flour, salt and half-and-half.
Pour the batter into the skillet over the melted butter. Slide the skillet into the oven, and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the puffed pancakes from the oven, transfer them to a plate or shallow bowl, and pour on butter, sprinkle on lemon juice, and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
