This is an excellent opportunity for me to share a favorite recipe from my childhood for – Dutch Babies! (some folks call them German Pancakes, but I remember as a kid that’s what we called them and I thought it was a hilarious joke to talk about having Dutch Babies for breakfast – oh our childhood humor…)

These were only really made for special occasions (even though they’re super easy). I used to get so excited as a little girl when we’d be having them because I would sit on the floor in front of the oven (blocking most of the kitchen) watching them puff up in the oven, and then watching them fall once you take them out of the oven (although the sides still remain tall). There’s so much egg, you think it’s going to be just like an omelet, but the little bit of flour/milk/butter makes them oh, so much more fabulous.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole or 2% milk (room temp is best but not critical)
• 3 large eggs (room temp is best but not critical)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Optional

• Good pinch of salt (maybe 1/2 tsp) for either version, but especially savory
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I think it’s tasty when you’re making them sweet, which is how I usually make them)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (can be omitted if you want to have more savory toppings)

Toppings – almost anything you could imagine!

• Sweet ideas: Fruit/berries, pancake syrup, powdered sugar, jam/jelly/compote
• Savory ideas: Fresh herbs, cheese, sour cream, ham/bacon/meat of your choosing, veggies (split & roasted cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, etc.

Directions

Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Place the flour, milk, and eggs (include salt, sugar and vanilla if using) in the blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides at least once the batter will be very liquid. Let the batter rest in the blender for 10-20-ish minutes (not critical, but a good idea). While your batter is resting, add your butter to a 10-inch baking dish with sides (experiment with different types of vessels; you can use an oven-safe skillet – cast iron or not; a cake pan; a pie tin; a loaf pan, or scale up the recipe and use a lasagna pan, scale down the recipe and use a small metal mixing bowl, you really can make them in anything safe to go in the oven) and place into the warmed oven until the baking dish heats and the butter melts (you can keep the baking dish in the oven the whole time and just melt the butter in it right before baking – be careful not to let the butter burn). Carefully pour the batter right on top of the butter and place back into the hot oven. Bake the Dutch Baby until it is puffed, lightly brown across the top, and darker brown on the sides/edges (15-20 mins). Once you remove it from the oven, the middle will fall, but that is supposed to happen – the sides should stay tall, even as the center deflates. Add your topping and enjoy!