There are innumerable recipes for these baked pancakes, varying the ratio of eggs to flour and the cooking temperature and time, so feel free to experiment. The finished product is actually quite similar to Yorkshire pudding (minus the beef drippings) or to popovers. Besides the traditional topping of lemon juice and powdered sugar, Dutch babies are also good with jam or syrup. And you may serve them with a side dish of sliced apples sautéed in butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Pan-Baked Dutch Babies
1 heaping cup flour (5 ounces)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon butter
1 or 2 lemons (for squeezing on the pancakes)
4 or more tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (for sprinkling on the pancakes)
In a bowl or blender combine flour, salt, and milk. Then add eggs and combine until you have a smooth liquid batter. If you have time, let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
To bake in a dish: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 9- by 13-inch ovenproof dish in the oven for 10 minutes, then put the butter in the dish and continue heating for another 10 minutes. Pour the batter into the dish and bake until light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice and a generous sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar.
To bake in muffin cups: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Preheat a large 6-muffin pan in the oven for 10 minutes, then put a dab of butter into each muffin cup and continue heating for about 10 minutes. Pour equal amounts of batter into each cup and bake until light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice and a generous sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar. Serves 4.
(The above is adapted from a recipe on epicurious.com.)
Skillet-Baked Dutch Babies
3 or 4 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon butter
1 or 2 lemons (for squeezing on the pancakes)
4 or more tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (for sprinkling on the pancakes)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Note: If you use 4 eggs, the finished pancake will be denser. Put the eggs and milk in a blender and process at high speed until mixed. With the blender on high, gradually add the flour until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a 9-inch or 10-inch cast iron skillet until it turns light brown. Pour in the batter and bake until light golden brown, about 25 minutes. Slice into wedges. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice and a generous sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar. Serves 4.
(The above is adapted from the Edgecombe-Coles House recipe on virtualcities.com.)
