Sunday, March 8, 2009

Dutch Babies AKA Giant Pancakes

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I love crepes, but I am too intimidated (read lazy) to make them. Then I stumbled upon a recipe for something called a Dutch Baby and it's almost too good to be true. These puppies are delicious and easy to make. It's as though a Yorkshire Pudding eloped with a Crepe and they ran off to Amsterdam for their honeymoon. Seven months later this little beauty was born, and though they told everyone it was premature, one look at the size of this Dutch Baby tells you all you need to know. Hey, remember that old adage - the pancake don't lie. But who cares about such things. Come to Mama for a kiss and a cuddle.

Dutch Baby Pancakes

(2-4 servings unless it's for a teenage boy, in which case it serves 1)

4 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP butter
1/2 lemon, cut in 2 wedges
icing sugar

Preheat your oven to 400F. In a blender, throw in the eggs, flour and milk. Blend until smooth. Spray two round 8" metal cake pans with PAM (yes, funny, haha, heard it many times) and add 1 TBSP of butter to each pan.

Put the pans in the oven and let the butter melt and get bubbly. This will take about 1 minute. Do NOT let the butter burn.

Leaving the pans in the oven, pour the pancake batter evenly between the two pans (I don't mean literally between the pans because that would cause a huge mess in the bottom of the oven. Trust me on this one.)

Bake the pancakes until puffy and browned around the edges, about 15 minutes or so. Quickly invert the pancakes onto 2 dinner plates.

Squeeze 1 lemon wedge on each one, then sprinkle with 1 TBSP of icing sugar. Instead of lemon/icing sugar, you can add cinnamon, or use caramelized apples, or even Nutella. Me, I like the lemon and sugar the best.

Have a cup of coffee and congratulate yourself on your cleverness in rousing teenagers who will sniff the air then wander down from their rooms like zombies in wrinkled pajamas.

16 comments:

BB said...

Looks delicious!!! My mouth is watering... and I am TRYING to be good this morning. Darn it woman!

But one question: how is this easier than pancakes??
:-)
BB

Nicole said...

Mmmm... I made these right away (at 6:00 pm)! They are delicious! I put powdered sugar and syrup on mine! Yummy! Thanks for the great recipe!

A Novel Woman said...

Nicole, Nicole....sugar and syrup? At the same time? You are my kind of gal.

BB, how much easier? Way easier. I make my own pancakes too, and this is in a BLENDER and then two cake tins in the oven. You can drink your coffee while you wait. They're quite eggy (eggie? eggish?) like a Yorkshire Pud, and less fat, too. Like that would matter.

Anonymous said...

Pam, these look great. A good many years ago, when I lived in Montreal, Le Crepe restaurants were all the rage. I loved them!
This recipe I will try.
Thanks,
Kathleen in VA

A Novel Woman said...

Hi Kathleen! We still have crepe restaurants, but they're not as numerous as they used to be. My son had one the other day with chocolate and fresh strawberries, and it was so big it hung over the ends of the platter it was served on. Didn't stop him from finishing it.

Anonymous said...

Leah and I think you should make these for us when we come to visit this summer. Icing sugar for me please - she'll have white chocolate chips. Thanks - you're the best sister/aunt ever (don't tell Brenda).

Laura Bradbury said...

Dear Pam (I know you heard it a thousand times, but PAM / Pam still made me smile),

I think I must introduce these racy cakes to the French. Yum!

merci xo

Laura

A Novel Woman said...

Laura, I bet the French invented them and the Dutch totally stole them. Actually, I think the Germans had them first. Ah HA!

Try them. I know your little one especially will love them.

Anonymous said...

Oh dear, those look delish! crepes are actually quite easy too once you get the heat spot on.
Love your tagline, it's perfect and inspiring as I flit around between my three businesses, raise my boys and hope to have moments to work on things I'm passionate about. I know my time will come when all three boys are in school.
Have you heard of the Momoir Project...I am starting the internet version in April, it's a great too for aspiring writers and hacks like moi.

I will definitely give you a linky-poo on Snickerdoodles and be visiting often.

best,

kerry

A Novel Woman said...

Kerry, the time will come soon enough when your children will be all grown up and on their own and you'll be left all alone, scratching your head wondering "How did the time pass so quickly? All those old ladies who stopped me in the supermarket were right, dagnabbit" followed even more quickly by, "Hey this means more cookies for moi! Sweeeet."

Anonymous said...

oooh, Im writing the recipe down and wondering if we have enough eggs in the fridge to make them in the morning...? :)

A Novel Woman said...

If you don't have enough, Courtney, then go beg, borrow or steal from a neighbour.

Richard Bonomo said...

Pam, these were a big hit this morning. My son also put sugar and syrup.

Richard from LCC

A Novel Woman said...

Richard,

Told ya so.

P.

Anonymous said...

These look very doable and most importantly, they look like something my daughter would love! I will have to try it when she is home over spring break.

A Novel Woman said...

Kelly, "doable" is my middle name. I mean Doable with a capital D. Sheesh.