Baked apple pancake

We've been getting some apples in our box lately, mostly Macs.

So I started thinking about trying to make an apple Dutch baby pancake, or a baked pancake as many of my cookbooks seem to call it.  (I've been on a pancake kick for a couple of weeks now, with banana, pecan and coconut pancakes my favorite breakfast lately.)

I decided to use a recipe from the Gourmet cookbook, which is a great cookbook for general reference (along the lines of the Joy of Cooking), despite its ridiculous choice of yellow for recipe titles.  The title in the photo below actually came out more readable than the book is usually on the kitchen counter.  (And raise your hand if you miss Gourmet magazine.  My hand is up.)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Make sure your racks are set so a 10" ovenproof skillet can fit in the center of the oven with room to puff up.

Peel, core and slice 2 apples (recipe suggests Macs or Granny Smith; I had Macs from my box).  Mix in 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.

Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter in an ovenproof 10" skillet.  I used our cast iron pan.  Once it's melted, add the apples and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened. 

Then move the apples to a bowl and wipe out the pan.

Put the pan into the preheated oven for 5 minutes to warm.  While it's heating, mix your pancake batter.  Put the following into a blender: 3 eggs, 3/4 cup of milk, 2/3 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.  Blend.

When the five minutes are up, take the pan out of the oven (with a mitt on of course, given that it's now 425 degrees).  Put it back on the stove at a medium high heat.  Melt another one and a half tablespoons of butter in the pan.  I swirled the pan to make sure the butter got on the sides as well.

Pour the batter into the pan, then add the apples and juices.

Put the pan in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick or skewer comes out cleanly.

 

It'll start to puff up, although mine never ended up getting as high as the Dutch baby pancakes I've seen at restaurants.

The baked pancake.  Husband suggests that I should have left it in the over a bit longer to brown on the top.

 A slice.

 

While I'd make the recipe again, I think I'll look for a recipe that might puff up a bit more, not for taste but for the cool presentation.