Continuing our apple theme from last time, we move from dessert to breakfast and an absolutely delightful dutch pancake that's loaded with caramel-coated apples and hot from the oven goodness. You can opt for a crisp granny smith apple or any crisp variety (think gala or honeycrisp). Then it's time to grab your cast iron skillet and get ready for a glorious breakfast.
I used a white whole wheat flour to make this and it puffed up beautifully. Sometimes whole wheat flour can give lackluster results, but this cousin to a soufflé handles it just fine. I used whole milk in my version, but you can use half and half or even heavy cream if you are looking for something particularly decadent. I happened to have both regular and dark brown sugar and chose to showcase both in different part of this dish, but if you have only one, use it across the board.
This makes a really lovely breakfast and you can drizzle a bit of maple syrup on it if you'd like and call it done. Then wash it all down with your favorite mug of coffee or tea. Chilly mornings can really be downright sweet.
Caramel Apple Dutch Pancake
- 1 granny smith apple (or other firm apple) - peeled, cored and thinly sliced
- 6 tablespoons butter - divided
- ¼ cup brown sugar - can use dark brown sugar if you don't have regular
- ⅔ cups all purpose flour
- ⅔ cups whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar - can use regular brown sugar if you don't have dark
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 425° F. Place a large 10-12 inch cast iron skillet in the oven as it preheats.
When the oven is preheated, very carefully remove the skillet and add 4 tablespoons of butter to the skillet, allowing it to fully melt and coat the bottom of the pan. Arrange the sliced honey crisp apple around the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle the ¼ cup of brown sugar over the top of the apples. Bake the apples in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.
While the apples are baking, make the batter. In a large stand mixer fitted with a whisk (or a blender), combine the flour, milk, eggs, dark brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Whisk on medium high speed for 1-2 minutes until the batter is smooth and no clumps of flour remain.
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and pour the batter over the apples. Place the skillet back into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pancake is puffed and lightly browned on top. Serve warm with maple syrup.
- Yields: 4-6 servings
- Preparation Time: 45 minutes