Wednesday, April 29, 2009

German Oven Pancakes


This recipe goes by many names. German Oven Pancakes, Dutch Babies, and my personal favorite -- from toddler Katie, way back when -- "Poofy Pancakes"! She thought they were magical.

They're a favorite around our house. (I try not to have them too often anymore, as they're not too point-friendly, but the rest of the family still wants them all the time.) This recipe makes any cook feel good. What is it about 4 simple ingredients that makes this dish such a showstopper? The picture above was Katie's first attempt. Look at those "poofy pancakes"!! :-)


German Oven Pancakes

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
3 large eggs
dash of salt
1 to 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine
.

Preheat your oven to 425° F. We always make German Oven Pancakes in a 9x13 pan, but a round pan or skillet can also be used. (Oh, and we always double the recipe. If you use a 9x13 pan, *definitely* double it.)

Place the butter in the bottom of the pan and place it in the oven while it's preheating to melt it. Mix your milk, flour, eggs and salt in a bowl. Use a wire whisk to blend, but make sure all the lumps have disappeared before moving on. (Some people blend this in a food processor.) When you've got your mix ready, pour it over the melted butter in your pan, and place it back in the oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Edges will be puffed up.

This are a fun breakfast, and it can also make a beautiful brunch. Katie loves them plain -- just a little syrup for her, but depending on your mood or the season, they could be filled with berries, peaches, or sauteed apples. A dusting of powdered sugar or even whipped cream could top it off. I think Deb and Shauna have gourmet versions of these pancakes. I'd love to hear what they do.

Casual or fancy, you can't go wrong with German Oven Pancakes.

2 comments:

Rebekah said...

From the picture I see the middle is also puffy. How do you do that? My middle rarely puffs up, only my edges.

Wendy said...

I could fib, and feign that we're gourmets over here and we do something special, but...

...actually...I don't think they're *supposed* to do that. LOL My daughter did that batch, using a pyrex casserole dish. I wonder if the mixture had a harder time sticking to and climbing up the sides of the pan, since we didn't use a regular old cake pan...

Oh well. It makes a pretty cool picture! :-)

You're making them right. Stick to what you're doing.