I love the Dutch Baby because it is sweet, crispy and fluffy. It is started in a screaming hot cast iron skillet and baked to a golden puff. It can be drizzled with honey or maple syrup or filled with a yummy fruit filling. Today I am filling it with apples because I have them in my refrigerator.
I am making the batter and already added too much butter...oops! The recipe called for 4 Tbsp of butter (2 in the recipe and 2 in the hot pan to keep the pancake from sticking). I put all 4 Tbsp of butter in the batter...looks like the recipe will now have 6 Tbsp of butter! YUM! I am also using 1 tsp almond extract instead of vanilla. I love almond extract...I substitute it for vanilla when I have it.
Now the batter is to sit for 1 hr. at room temperature before baking...I should know why, but I don't...I will let it sit anyway even though Nick and I are STARVING....it's 10:27am and we haven't had breakfast yet! We've been watching Paddles (our new kitty) and Jib (our 4 yr. old cute as a button mut) play and cuddle together all morning....well, Nick has been working...I have been watching :-) I am looking for a job...
While the batter sits I will make the apple filling...
Ok, it's only been 20 minutes and I am going to start the pancake...screw the 1 hr. wait method - we'll see what happens...
I am cooking the apples....I sliced them, sauteed them in butter with a little orange juice (even though the recipe called for lemon juice - I didn't have any), sugar, brown sugar, nutmeg and a little salt. After about 5 minutes of sauteeing the pan is full with water from the apples. The recipe says to raise the heat to quickly evaporate the juices and then to again lower the heat once the liquid has become the apples glaze...I like this technique...otherwise the apples would become a soggy mess in their own juice. After about 15 minutes of sauteeing, I will remove the apples from the heat to rest until the dutch baby is ready to rock!
We wait....35 more minutes.....
The pancake was delicious....I topped each slice with a pile of apples and some warm syrup. Nick and I enjoyed it more than the last one I made...I think the addition of egg whites made a difference....this pancake was more fluffy.
