I’ve been assessing my line-up of easy weekday breakfasts in anticipation of back-to-school season, and realize that for me, it’s probably easiest to add a breakfast column to my weekly meal plan. I don’t want to stand starring at the fridge each morning wondering what to make for the kids when they wake up, and if I make a list of five quick-cooking yet nutritious morning meals for the week when I’m planning our dinners, that’s one less thing I’ll need to think about each day.
To be honest, I don’t add a lot of variety to breakfast. One day we eat eggs; one day it’s baked or stovetop oatmeal. There’s almost always at least one morning where we all get a yogurt/granola/fruit parfait, and one morning I’ll make pancakes or waffles, depending on how much time I have. That day is admittedly my boys’ favourite meal of the week, but sometimes the process of making a hot breakfast like that requires more work than my toddler will allow me to do (side note: why is it that when I’m in the kitchen he coincidentally also needs to be held at that exact moment?). The solution of course is to make a Dutch Baby, otherwise known as a German or puffed pancake.
I don’t know why I didn’t think about this before, but this large, fluffy pancake requires only five minute of work and yields a breakfast the whole family adores. While it bakes in the oven I can get someone dressed, call someone else for the twentieth time, and pack a few lunches in the process. Easy weekday breakfast goals achieved.
You’ll Need
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup milk
- 1 Tbsp granulated or cane sugar
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 4 Tbsp butter
- Optional: Fresh fruit, maple syrup, jams and preserves, whipped cream, confectioners' sugar, cinnamon sugar, lemon wedges
Prep and Cook
- 1Preheat oven to 425°F.
- 2Combine eggs, flour, milk, sugar and nutmeg in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Batter may also be mixed by hand, if desired.
- 3Place butter in a heavy 10-inch skillet or baking dish and place in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted, carefully swirl it around the sides of the skillet. Add the batter to the pan, return pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden. Lower oven temperature to 300°F, and bake for five minutes longer. Do not open the oven while pancake is baking or it might deflate.
- 4Remove pancake from oven, cut into wedges and serve at once topped with syrup, preserves, confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar. Alternatively, sprinkle the entire Dutch baby with powdered sugar and fill the centre with fresh fruit. Serve immediately.
Tagged under: breakfast,Baking,brunch,Dutch Baby
Category: recipes
