One inescapable
sign of autumn is the appearance of pumpkin-flavored everything on the market shelves. Pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ice
cream, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin spice coffee… the list is seemingly
endless!
With all due respect
to fans of the currently ubiquitous orange vegetable, I’ve always associated
autumn with apples: tart, sweet, and spicy. Apple cider, apple dumplings, apple
and walnut dressing, and, on weekend mornings, apple pancakes.
Lately, I’ve
been experimenting with the baked
apple pancake, sometimes called a Dutch baby, ever since trying one at a local pancake
restaurant in San Diego during last summer’s RWA. Now that fall weather is finally here—after a
long and protracted summer—I’m delving into recipes, comparing and tweaking
proportions and ingredients to come up with one that produces the most satisfying
results: not too wet, not too dry, not too sweet, and loaded with tender spiced
apples.
So, straight
from Casa Sherwood’s test kitchen, is my take on this breakfast treat!
BAKED APPLE
PANCAKE
Batter
4 eggs
1 cup of milk
½ tsp. of
vanilla extract
¾ cup of flour
1 Tbsp. of sugar
½ tsp. of cinnamon
½ tsp. of cinnamon
¼ tsp. of nutmeg
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground
cloves
Topping/Filling
2 medium-to-large cooking
apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼ ” slices (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious,
and Macintosh are good choices)
1 Tbsp. of lemon
juice
2 Tbsp. of
butter or margarine
2 Tbsp. of brown
sugar (dark or golden)
2 Tbsp. of sugar
½ tsp. of
cinnamon
Preheat oven to
425 degrees.
Combine dry
ingredients of batter in a bowl, mix and set aside. Beat eggs and milk together
until foamy, then gradually add dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Add
vanilla extract at the end. Batter should be thin and without lumps.
Combine sugar
and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside
Melt butter in
cast iron skillet, then add brown sugar, and heat until bubbling. Toss apple
slices with lemon juice, then add to the sugar mixture in the skillet, stirring
until slices are coated and tender (about 3-5 minutes).
Arrange apples
in a single layer on the bottom of the skillet, then pour the batter over the
apples. Sprinkle the top with the cinnamon-sugar mixture and bake pancake in
skillet for 20 minutes or until the edges are puffed and brown and the center
is fully set. The interior should be tender and moist, but not wholly liquid.
Remove from oven
and serve at once. You can top the pancake with butter, syrup, or more cinnamon
sugar, if deserved.
Makes 4 generous portions. Enjoy!
So, what tastes like autumn to you?
Pamela Sherwood
Thanks, Pamela!
ReplyDeleteWe all gotta eat, Shana!
ReplyDelete