Foodie Fridays - Simply Basic Dutch Baby

As everyone knows on Wednesday we got snow!  Macon only got about 1 to 2 inches but my mom and dad that live only an hour north got seven inches.  That's not a lot to most people but to us that's a heck of a lot.  The most I can remember was when I was in the 3rd or 4th grade and we got 5 inches.  So Wednesday night with the snow falling down, the gas logs burning, and Allie watching Mickey Mouse I thought I would make a Dutch Baby.  A Dutch Baby, or as some call it a German Pancake, is somewhere between a souffle and a popover.  It's a little denser and most custard like than a real pancake but I promise it's pretty darn good.  Back a couple of years ago now I posed a recipe for Apple Skillet Cake which is basically an apple dutch baby but I just wanted simple the other night.  I did make stewed apples to go on top and sauteed' up some little smokies to go with it. 

All you'll need for this are a few ingredients and either a hand mixer, blender, or stick blender.  These are great to fix up for supper or breakfast and look fairly impressive when you pull them out of the oven.  Serve warm with syrup, powered sugar, or like I did with fruit.  Anyway you make it they are good!  They come in many variations, but this is the most simple and basic way I have found to make one.  I've had the recipe for three or four years now and I didn't write down where it came from, sorry! 

Simply Basic Dutch Baby

1/2 cup milk - room temperature 

2 eggs - room temperature

4 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 375.  Put two tablespoons of butter in an 8 inch black skillet and place in the oven to heat and melt the butter.  

While the butter is melting, with a mixer or blender blend the milk and eggs until foamy.  To this mixture add the flour, salt, and sugar and blend well for another minute or so.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and lastly add the butter and vanilla to the batter blending again for a minute or so.  The blending process puts air into the batter and makes the final product light and fluffy.  Batter will be thin.  Take the hot skillet out of the oven and swirl the butter around the pan coating it so the dutch baby will not stick.  Pour the batter into the pan and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until puffed and the edges are just starting to brown.  Serve with syrup or honey or just a dusting of powered sugar is nice as well.

Enjoy!