A Poofy Breakfast

I'm not much of a morning person.  I try to be...but I still haven't figured out how to do that.  So you could see why breakfast is the highlight of the morning.  Weekday breakfasts are quick affairs, thrown together in the morning from a rotating list of options. Yogurt with fruit and nuts (and now some homemade granola!).  A muffin or bread I made with some kefir.  Oatmeal with either PB and dried fruit or milk/coconut milk and a fruit sauce.  Occasionally cereal and milk.  Don't get me wrong. I love my weekday breakfasts.  They're delicious and, most of the time, nutritious.  But going off a short list every week makes me crave something different on the weekends, when I have more time to put into breakfast.

Eggs are the favorite choice of Eric.  He makes killer omelettes and scrambled eggs.  Sometimes we indulge in Trader Joe's Cinnamon Rolls.  I sneak raisins into one roll for me, but leave the rest unsullied by such things for him.  Waffles occasionally make an appearance too, though I keep the fruit limited to toppings on my plate.  For weekend breakfasts, these are perfect, especially when enjoyed at an actual dining room table with a place mat.  Holy cow, we're talking crazy-luxurious here!

A few weekends ago, I took a walk on the wild side and made an Alton Brown recipe I've had bookmarked for years--the Dutch Baby pancake.  I'd never even tried it at The Original Pancake House because the menu notes it has a 20-30 minute wait, and every time I've been there, I've already waited 30 minutes to sit down and order.  So I was curious and I was nervous and I was excited.  The perfect storm of culinary exploration, right?

The good news:  making a Dutch Baby pancake is actually really easy.

The better news:  there are several flavor combinations you can fit in this recipe. I made a bacon + vanilla one here, but I'm going to try a nectarine + raspberry one in the very near future.

The best news:  a Dutch Baby pancake is delicious!  And huge!!!

Dutch Baby Pancake
From Alton Brown

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. unsalted butter (separate into 2 tbsp. and 1 tbsp. amounts), each melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. granulated sugar (vanilla sugar, if you have it)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
lemon wedges

Directions:
--Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit

--Place 2 tbsp. of melted butter into a 10-inch cast iron skillet.  Put the skillet into the oven and wait about 10 minutes before assembling the remaining ingredients. You want to get the skillet incredibly hot.

--Put the remaining tablespoon of melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, milk, and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 30 seconds to form a batter.

--Remove skillet from oven (careful, it's hot!) and carefully pour the batter into the skillet.  Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30-35 minutes, until the edges are puffed and brown.  The whole pancake will puff up inside the oven, but instantly start deflating when you remove it.  Don't worry, it still tastes fantastic.

--Cut into wedges and serve with additional sugar and lemon juice sprinkled on top.

Notes:
--Above all, remember the skillet is hot!  I like to set a pot holder over the skillet's handle after I've removed it from the oven, just to remind myself not to touch.

--Vanilla sugar is super easy to make. Pour granulated sugar into an air-tight container or jar and add a vanilla bean.  I used a vanilla bean I had scraped the seeds out of for a recipe, and it still flavored the sugar quite thoroughly.  Seal the container and give it a shake every few days.  After a week or so, the sugar should have enough vanilla flavor to use.

--My first pancake included bits of bacon I had cooked in a separate skillet and cooled.  After pouring the batter into the hot skillet, I crumbled the bacon on top and put it back into the oven to cook.  I enjoyed the salty-smoky and vanilla sugar contrast, but I'm guessing I'll enjoy the fruit version even more.  Get creative and remember this can be sweet or savory!

Bacon is good for you!!!