Apple Dutch Baby

I realize this is dangerously close to a pancake, which was the topic of my last post, but this really is very different. It has apples (yum!) and puffs up when you bake it (fancy!) and sooo much cinnamon-y goodness it was just screaming to be made on a day like today.

Do I dare say that fall has arrived?! I don't want to jinx it of course, but the air is crisp, there's a nice breeze, and I've unpacked my sweaters ... sounds like fall to me! :o) I love this time of year and I especially love when apples taste like apples again. Is there anything better than biting into a crisp juicy apple while wearing a scarf? I think not.

So here it is: an apple dutch baby (which is really like a big puffy apple custardy pancake) to herald in the fall. *cue the trumpets*


Apple Dutch Baby adapted slightly from theKitchn

2 fuji apples (you could use Granny Smith, but this is what I had in the fridge)
1/3 cup walnut pieces
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

5 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Melt the butter in your 8x8 pan or cast iron skillet. In a small bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon.

2. Peel and slice the apples. Once the butter is melted, sprinkle the brown sugar over it and arrange the apples and walnuts on top. Sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture over top. Place the pan back in the oven.

3. Whisk the eggs until foamy. Add the flour, salt and sugar until just incorporated. Add the vanilla and milk and whisk until smooth.

4. Remove the pan from the oven and pour your batter over top. Sprinkle with a little more sugar and cinnamon.

5. Bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes

There is very little that can't be fixed by pancakes. And this morning, I needed some fixin'. This past week has been INSANE. I mean, beyond what I could ever have imagined. Not only did I spend between 8-10 hours each day reading, but we had a super awesome extermination issue that needed attending to. I won't go into the gory details because this is a cooking blog and you came to hear about pancakes, not the most horrible thing ever, but when I say that ALL of our belongings are in plastic bags and totes, please know that there is no hyperbole.

Often my go-to pancake is this one from 101 Cookbooks. It's light and a little sweet and I can eat about 100 of them in one sitting. But I didn't need a light pancake. I needed a pancake with substance, one that I could wrap around myself like a blanket and forget about the plastic totes and civil procedure for just a little bit. Or until I ate it all. So where did I find such a recipe? Where my mother always told us to look with any food questions: the Fannie Farmer Cookbook!

If you don't have the Fannie Farmer Cookbook, I highly recommend it. It's a great general reference and I've never experienced a dud - so when I want to try something new I don't have to worry that I'm wasting time, ingredients, etc.

The only change I made was to add chocolate chips. Because, well, did you read above? My only regret is that I didn't double the batch, because there aren't any left...

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Boston Cooking School Cookbook, Fannie Merrit Farmer

1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter (I browned mine because, why not?)
1 egg

2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Mix milk, melted butter and egg in a medium bowl.

2. In a separate bowl sift the flours, baking powder, sugar and salt.

3. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir just enough to combine.

4. Add more milk if you need to (I added a splash). The consistency should be that of heavy cream

5. In a hot buttered skillet, pour nice sized blobs of batter. This recipe makes 6 to 8 smallish pancakes.