Today marks a milestone of sorts as this is my 50th post here at Digital Dads. In coming up with something to write about I took at look at all of the things I’ve written about over the past year. Surprisingly, I noticed that I only have one post about breakfast, or at least breakfast related foods.

It’s not that I don’t like breakfast. On the contrary, it is one of my favorite things. My problem is that I’m not much of a morning person and with two children under the age of three I’m usually happy to just scramble a few eggs and be done with it.

However, there are certain times, like holidays or when friends are in from out of town, and I want to put something different on the breakfast table. Sure, I could go with eggs and bacon, or french toast or even pancakes. Still, there is something else that takes the same effort as the rest, but has a bit of a wow factor: a Dutch Baby.

What exactly is a Dutch Baby? It is a sweet breakfast dish sometimes called a German pancake that resembles a yorkshire pudding or a popover and is derived from the German apfelpfannkuchen – now say that three times fast. It is formed from a thin batter that is baked in the oven at a high temperature. It will puff up while cooking and fall after it is done. Depending on what you use to cook it in you will have to really watch it because the sides can form very high peaks that will burn fast in the very hot oven.

The classic presentation of a Dutch Baby is to dust it with some powdered sugar and serve with some lemon wedges. A quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the Dutch Baby gives it a very bright flavor. Another serving option is to incorporate some fruit into the dish by caramelizing a peeled and diced apple with some butter and brown sugar.

While the compote idea is a good one, it can be a little rich for breakfast. In this case, my preference would be to slice up some fresh fruit (even macerate it with a splash of Grand Mariner for the adults in attendance) and serve it with a little maple syrup.

What are your favorite things to make for a special breakfast or brunch?

Dutch Baby Recipe

recipe adapted from the Food Network

Hardware

• 10″ Cast iron skillet, Dutch oven or oven safe nonstick pan
• Medium mixing bowl
• Measuring cups (liquid and dry measure)
• Whisk

Software

• 3 eggs (at room temperature, if possible)
• 3/4 cup milk (warmed)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 4 tablespoons butter (2 melted, 2 reserved)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Lemon (sliced into wedges, as a garnish)
• Powdered sugar

Assemblage

1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
2. Put your skillet or pan in the oven to heat with the oven
3. Crack the eggs into the mixing bowl
4. Warm the milk in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds
5. Add the warmed milk a little at a time to the eggs and whisk to combine
6. Slowly add the flour, salt, sugar and vanilla extract to the egg and milk mixture
7. Add the melted butter and combine
8. When the oven is up to temperature, take the skillet or pan (don’t forget those oven mitts!)
9. Add the reserved butter to the pan and use to coat the bottom and sides
10. Pour the batter, which will be very thin, into the coated pan
11. Return the pan to the oven and cook for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on your oven

Presentation

The classic presentation of a Dutch Baby is to dust it with some powdered sugar and serve with some lemon wedges. A quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice over the Dutch Baby gives it a very bright flavor.

Another serving option is to incorporate some fruit into the dish you could caramelize a peeled and diced apple with some butter and brown sugar. While the compote idea is a good one, it can be a little rich for breakfast. Alternatively, you could slice up, or even macerate, some fresh fruit and serve it with a little maple syrup.