First things first: I’m of Dutch descent. My great-grandparents came over from the Netherlands and settled around the Midwest. So when we talk about Dutch babies (known to many as German pancakes) I cannot – nay, I will not! – resist making jokes about it. I mean, what am I do when someone utters the phrase, “Let’s make some Dutch babies?” I’m helpless.
But on to the focus of this post. We like making Dutch babies. (Ha ha haaaa! See?!) We think the best Dutch baby pancake recipe comes from our friend Sam at the blog Pie Are Round. The pancakes are easy to make, but they come out looking really impressive. See above.
How to Make Dutch Baby Pancakes
INGREDIENTS
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
All ingredients you have in your cupboard already. The milk and eggs – as Sam suggests – are best at room temperature, so I often set them out a half hour or so ahead of time.
INSTRUCTIONS
Before you do anything, pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees and throw in the cast iron pan – I use the largest pan we have.
Then it’s simply a matter of mixing everything. I like to whisk together the dry ingredients first, then add the wet ingredients one by one, and whisk by hand until the batter is smooth.
When your batter is ready, pull out the pan and toss in a couple tablespoons of butter, and tip it around to coat the bottom.
Then pour all the batter in (use a spatula to scrape the sides of your mixing bowl!), slide the pan back in the oven, and set the timer for 18-20 minutes. I’ve had better luck on the lower end, especially when using a convection oven. Try to lower the shelf, too, to keep the pancake away from the upper heating element, as it puffs up.
In my experience, if you let it go above 20 minutes, the puffed up edges start to burn.
But if you get it right, you can impress your friends and family when whisking it out of the oven.
The Dutch baby will puff up beautifully around the edges. The bottom should be baked through but a little custardy, while the edges are crispy. You can usually slide it out easily onto a plate for serving. We like to dust it with powdered sugar.
Where you go from there is up to you! We like to cut pie-shaped slices. You can dress it up simply with maple syrup, or add jam or fruit compote, lemon juice and powdered sugar, lemon curd, or even savory ingredients like crumbled sausage and cheese. (We do the same with crepes.)
Have fun making your Dutch babies! (Ba ha haaaa!)
