Dutch Baby Pancake (aka: German or Baked Pancakes)

Whenever I have company that spends the night and I want to make a special breakfast that is not too labor intensive, I turn to Dutch Baby Pancakes. With summer coming to Italy we are starting to have more house guests, so I’ve been whipping them up lately! Dutch Babies are an American invention by Manca’s Cafe in Seattle.

Their recipe for Dutch Baby Pancakes was featured in a Sunset magazine years ago and it put them on the map of culinary lovers in the West. The name was coined when one of the young daughters of the cafe owner couldn’t pronounce “Deutsch “ (The German word to German) So she called them Dutch Babies, whatever you want to call ‘em, they are delicious! Easy to make and a real crowd pleaser on any morning that you want to make extra special without the fuss.

Dutch Baby Pancakes

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup of flour

1/2 cup of milk

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar (for dusting in top)

Fresh lemon wedges

Dutch Baby Berry Topping

1/2 cup mixed frozen berries

1 tablespoon of corn starch

3 Tablespoons of sugar

1/2 cup water

Dutch Baby Sour Cream Topping

1/2 cup sour cream

2 Tablespoons Brown sugar

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.place two tablespoons of butter into a round cake pan or pie plate and place into oven until butter is melted. Meanwhile mix the eggs and flour then adding the milk slowly while wisking to minimize lumps.

Allow to rest a few minutes, while you are waiting you can prepare your sour cream topping and berry topping.

Dump pancake mixture into hot pie pan with melted butter. Place back into hot oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. The pancake will raise up on the edges like a popover and the center will inflate. When it’s ready, remove from oven and quickly dust with powdered sugar. If you have any observers they will delight with you in the beauty of the puffed up pancake until it soon deflates.

While baking you can prepare your Berry Topping. Place frozen fruit in a saucepan and add water. In a separate bowl combine sugar and corn starch until incorporated. Add to frozen fruit and stir together. Cook over medium heat, stirring until it comes to a boil, remove from heat.

Combine the sour cream with the brown sugar and set aside. (I usually do this first, while the pancake batter is resting, so the sugar melts completely)

Serve by squeezing fresh lemon on the pancake and top with berries and sour cream topping.