“Ooh, Baby, Baby!” Dutch “Baby” Makes for Breakfast Bliss

I beamed when this recipe popped up in my inbox back in February, amongst the weekly bouquet of beautifully illustrated recipes served up via Leite’s Culinaria ‘s weekly updates. It’s a breakfast delight I used to make in the petite kitchen of my Greensboro, NC apartment, back when I was home from Peace Corps and teaching 7th grade English and social studies in my nearby hometown of High Point. The friend who shared that recipe called it “German pancake”. Given its simplicity and power to please, I can’t imagine how I ever it slip from my recipe repertoire.

But here it is, from a handsome cookbook, American Flavor, by Andrew Carmellini (Ecco, October 2011). You may have the ingredients  (milk, eggs, flour, sugar, butter, and vanilla) on hand. While I cherish the basic butter/lemon juice/confectioners’ sugar rendition, people vote for maple syrup, jams and jellies, sauteed apples, and fresh fruit as worthy accompaniments. You whirl those basics into a velvety batter using a blender, making this simple enough to make before you even have your coffee or tea.

Oven ready. Cast iron skillet is ideal, but any big sturdy skillet should work.

Both the recipe and many of the recipe’s commenters on Leite’s Culinaria believe that making this the night before (or about 6 hours ahead) is crucial to avoiding “egginess” and achieving idea Dutch babyhood. For me, mixing up the batter right before baking not only worked decently, it pleased me much more than the rested version.

This baby got a good night's sleep. I mixed up the batter, went to bed. Next morning, I baked it, and it came out wonderfully. But I missed the lumpiness of my first two ready-set-GO! babies. But you know I love all these babies, every single one.

My freshly-mixed pancake poofed and puffed up in a kooky, cumulus-cloudy manner (see first two photos at the top of this post). My proper, recipe-adhering-to-which, made-ahead, well-rested pancake came out symmetrical and smooth (above and below these words). Being a fan of the kooky, and finding it lovely rather than eggy, I vote for the buzz-it-up-and-go version myself. The option of making it ahead simplifies the morning feast, so suit yourself. And what’s wrong with eggy? I personally for one consider egginess to be a plus!

Showtime! My favorite take on this pancake-house favorite is melted butter, lemon juice, and confectioners' sugar. But you may stay awake while your batter sleeps, dreaming up delicious possibilities for how you will finish this breakfast pleasure, come morning.

The overnight batter version, ready for the table.

This recipe serves two. Or maybe one. Or perhaps a well-mannered family of four with other items on the breakfast table.... Well, it all depends. You'll know what to do. And if you run out, just make another batch of batter. The oven will still be hot, and you will have everything on hand. And fear not; I promise to keep your secret, that you didn't wait six hours before baking. Really. My lemony, buttery, powdery lips are sealed.

You’ll find the recipe right HERE, on Leite’s Culinaria. Dutch or German, plain or fancy, lemon-ed or strawberry-ed, I think you will love this recipe, and enter it into your recipe rotation for sweet, slow morning food.