Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Out of the Breakfast Rut - Dutch Babies

What an odd name for a pancake!

I've heard this recipe called Puff Pancake, German Pancakes, and Dutch Blanket, but when I was a child, we always called these Dutch Babies.

I had nearly forgotten about Dutch Babies. But a couple months ago, I pulled out my mom's old recipe and tried it one morning. It was love at first sight for my children, who were weary of the same old scrambled eggs.

I think I've served this cross between a popover, a crepe, and a pancake every week since then. I love the simplicity and my children love the taste. It gives them a good serving of protein and uses up my egg surplus. And nothing beats pulling Dutch Babies out of the oven high and puffy, almost spilling out over the pan and watch it sink. No wonder children love it. What other breakfast dish performs stunts!

We usually serve this with cinnamon sugar. You can add cinnamon and sugar directly to the batter, but we like to just sprinkle it on top after it is baked. I like to toss a few fresh berries on top. There is just enough time to run out to the raspberry patch and pick a handful of berries while the Dutch Babies bake in the oven.

My mom's recipe includes four amounts depending upon how many eggs you wanted to use. My family can eat the six egg version and asks for more. Use a 9x9 pan for 3-4 eggs and a 9x13 pan for 5-6 eggs. You can also use a cast iron pan in which case you will have a round pancake!

Note: I decrease the butter by a tablespoon or two but I am sharing the recipe here as the original.


Dutch Babies

Choose amount you wish:

3 eggs
1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup flour
salt to taste

4 eggs

1/3 cup butter
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
salt to taste

5 eggs

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups milk
1 1/4 cups flour
salt to taste


6 eggs

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups flour
salt to taste

Place butter in casserole dish or cast iron pan. Set in 425 degree oven to melt the butter while mixing up batter.

Place eggs in blender and blend at high speed for 1 minute. Add milk, flour, and salt. Continue to blend for 30 seconds. Pour batter slowly in pan with melted butter.

Bake until puffy and brown, about 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately with cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, fruit, or syrup.


Did any of you grow up with Dutch Babies? Or did you call them something else?

Edit: 4/15/2018

We still eat Dutch Babies every week, but the recipe has went through several revisions. I thought I'd share the updated recipe with you.

Dutch Babies

6 or 7 eggs
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 T lemon juice
raspberries, cinnamon sugar, or confectionery sugar (optional)



Place butter in casserole dish or cast iron pan. Set in 425 degree oven to melt the butter while mixing up batter.

Place eggs in blender and blend at high speed for 1 minute. Add milk, flour, vanilla, lemon juice, and salt. Continue to blend for 30 seconds. Pour batter slowly in pan with melted butter. If desired, sprinkle with red raspberries.


Bake until puffy and brown, about 20-25 minutes. Serve immediately with cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, fruit, or syrup.

31 comments :

  1. My MIL makes then with apples on the bottom. They call it a dutch apple pancake.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jenna-
      Adding apples sound so good! I'm trying that next time!
      Gina

      Delete
    2. Do the apples get cooked enough in 20 minutes?

      Delete
  2. This reminds of German pancakes. Have you ever made that?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I found a newspaper recipe for Dutch babies several years ago, and it was instant love! That recipe said to top them with fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar, and they are very good this way. Since then, I've topped them with everything from salmon (canned, drained salmon mixed with cream cheese, minced green onion tops and a few shots of Liquid Smoke, chilled overnight), to berries and to honey.
    (signed)
    Pippa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are creative! I would have never thought of salmon!
      Gina

      Delete
  4. My sil introduced me to these. We call it a German pancake because that's what she called it. :) I made them in a muffin pan & my children liked it even better-cause they were personal sized. We then filled them with pie filling. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've thought of trying a muffin pan but didn't know if it would work! I'll try that next!
      Gina

      Delete
  5. I will have to try this for my grandson. He is a terrible eater. Not a picky or finicky eater, just a terible eater. Period. It's hard to even get the first mouthful into him. I have never heard of these at all. Maybe my family being rasied out west (CA) has something to do with it? No clue! Thanks for the recipe. You are always good for fresh ideas on cooking!

    Sam

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  6. I've also made it with carmelized pears on the bottom of a large cast iron pan, and then invert the whole thing when done. Sticky and yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  7. We call this a pannukaka (Finish Language).

    ReplyDelete
  8. We in Germany do not make pancakes like that and I don't think the Dutch do - I have been in the Netherlands several times and they do it like we do. We mix milk, flour, eggs and salt to a liquid batter, pour it in a pan on the stove - more like crepe. Not so very thin like original crepes. The funny thing is, I allready made a pancake like this but found the recipe in an American cookbook. But I really want to try it with apples.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've grown up with these, also, but we called them French Pancakes! We always made them in a big cast iron skillet and as soon as it came out of the oven, we poured lemon juice and powdered sugar on it watching it bubble and deflate before eating it. Yum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Funny how many different names this has!
      Gina

      Delete
  10. these look just like yorkshire pudding,which we make with our cost beef. the only difference is we use no butter but put oil in the pan or use fat from roast. Yorkshire puffs up and falls too.

    Never thought of using it for breakfast,but it sounds delicious,especially with the fruit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've never had Yorkshire pudding but never pictured something like this!
      Gina

      Delete
  11. This is too funny how the same recipe is known by so many names.

    I'd never had these until joining my husband's family 25 years ago and they always serve them with powdered sugar and lemon juice (my favorite!) and you know what they call them?
    "Monster Pancakes" :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jami
      I love it! I think I'll tell that name to my children. I'm guessing that are breakfast will have a new name!
      Thanks for sharing!
      Gina

      Delete
  12. This looks familiar but I dont recall what we had them named for but YUM! ours were sprinkled with butter and powdered sugar.. but I bet creme cheese and peaches would be divine on it ... ok making my mouth drool

    ReplyDelete
  13. This recipe is a keeper for me. I've never heard of them or tried it before....until this morning. I used a gluten free flour mix and they turned out pretty good. I'm sure they'd be even better with regular flour. I'm going to play with some of these ideas from here now too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love to hear when others try these recipes! Thanks, Amy!

      Gina

      Delete
  14. I don't remember having this dish until after I was married. I put apples in them and call them Apple Puff Pancakes.
    I chuckled when I read that this breakfast dish performs stunts! I do agree that it is fun to watch it deflate:)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Gina, I haven't made Yorkshire pudding in ages...my mom served them with a standing prime rib roast. My mom cooked them in muffin tins...the best part is when they cooked they became hallow inside..and we would slice open the tops and the steam would come out of them and we would stick some butter in them and they were out of this world....now I have to make them...thank you for the reminder...have a great day..Lisa

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  16. A friend introduced us to these a few years ago; she called them German Pancakes. It's a favorite & very special breakfast for our whole family, and I love sharing it with guests. I always make mine with sliced apples; I melt the butter in the pan in the pre-heating oven, then throw in the apples & let them pre-bake & brown slightly while I mix up the eggs, milk, etc. While the pancake bakes, I make a caramel syrup. To us, they wouldn't be great without the syrup!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Never heard of these but I'm going to have to try them!

    ReplyDelete
  18. In the UK these are called Yorkshire Puddings. Traditionally, they would be served up as a first course, with lots of onion gravy, to fill up empty bellies before the main course of more expensive roast beef. Now, they are more usually served up with the main course. Roast beef and Yorkshire pud is the classic combination, but they go well with any roast meat. My uncle always made extra, so that after his meal he could have some with golden syrup or jam, and plenty of pouring cream. I've never heard of eating them for breakfast though!

    ReplyDelete
  19. These don't puff up like Dutch babies are supposed to. I've tried it twice thinking that I did something wrong but nope, it's the recipe. These turn out like a baked brick. I would recommend people find another recipe unless they like condensed bread.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sorry the recipe did not turn out for you. I've made this recipe for years and have never had it fail. Did you make sure your pan was hot when you poured your batter in? Did you beat the batter well?
      Hope it turns out better the next time.
      Gina

      Delete
  20. My family calls them gourmet pancakes. :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thank you for this recipe. I love that you include the different ingredient depending on how many eggs I want to use and how many servings we need. My husband and I are going to start having Saturday brunch with our son and his family who live next door, this will be a great addition to the menu :) And when our hens start to lay again I will have plenty of eggs.

    ReplyDelete

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