Life on Food: Vanilla Dutch Baby

A fluffy dessert like pancake with this vanilla dutch baby to make any morning a bit more special.

Today is Pancake Day. Nowadays it seems like they have a special day for every food imaginable. Normally I am about 2 days behind the actual day. However I got wind this weekend that Tuesday, today, was Pancake Day. So here we are with this gorgeous pancake treat.

This is my first Dutch Baby and it will not be my last. I don't know what I haven't attempted this easy breakfast treat till now. It was super simple to put together. Ideally this could feed a family. You would remove the whole pancake from the pan and slice in to reasonable servings like a pie piece. However if you are like Mr. J and I. You simply put the pan in front of the fire. Cover with maple syrup and dig right in. We were civilized enough to use forks.

A Dutch Baby looks and tastes way more complicated and complex than it actually takes to put it together. You simple melt butter right in your pan in the oven. All other ingredients are whipped together via a blender. When the butter is completely melted in goes the batter. The whole pan goes into the oven and presto a Dutch Baby comes out.

I overcooked this one by about 30 seconds. I checked at 20 minutes and thought the center was just a tad doughy. I put in it for another two minutes and before the timer was up the edges on one side were a bit crisp. Next time I will be a bit more careful. And there will definitely be a next time.

Vanilla Dutch Baby

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Keywords: bake breakfast vanilla

Ingredients (serves 4)

3 tablespoons butter
3 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk, heated 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the butter in a large saute pan and place in the oven to melt.

Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the eggs, flour, hot milk, 1 tablespoon sugar, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt, and blend on medium-high speed until uniform.

Carefully, remove the hot pan from the oven. The butter should be melted. Swirl the butter around the pan to coat completely, and then pour the remaining butter into the batter and whisk to blend. Pour the batter into the hot pan and return the pan to the oven.

Cook the pancake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed in the center, and golden brown along the edges.

Using a spatula, remove the entire Dutch baby from the pan and place on a cooling rack for a few minutes to allow the steam to escape without condensing along the bottom and rendering the pancake soggy.

Slice the pancake into wedges on a serving platter or cutting board and sprinkle with the confectioners’ sugar through a sieve. Serve with maple syrup.

In case you wanted a few other options to celebrate Pancake Day!