Dutch Baby Pancakes - In Style of Eating the Hyphen

Normally, when one thinks of pancakes, he/she thinks of thin, golden brown, and fluffy batter. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, thats exactly what a normal pancake is. It is “a thin flat cake of batter, fried on both sides in a pan”. Dutch Baby Pancakes, however, are very different. Made in a casserole dish instead of on a pan, Dutch Baby Pancakes taste and look more like a custard with a crust than a normal pancake. My mom—the official Dutch Baby Pancake maker of the family—learned how to make the breakfast dish from my grandma, who pioneered the recipe in our family. While the ingredients are reminiscent of cookies, the final products is deliciously unique. 

Place 3/4 cube of butter in casserole dish and place in oven at 425F until melted.

In blender, combine:

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 dash sugar

1 dash salt

5 eggs

Pour mixture over butter and bake at 425F for 17 minutes.

Serve immediately with syrup.

Every year, my mom makes Dutch Baby Pancakes when we go on our annual trip to my favorite place, Montana, over the summer. Waking up the morning, the small cabin is always filled with the scent of melted butter and the sound of pots banging together. Even though my siblings and I love so sleep in over the summer, the promise of syrupy goodness is enough to get us out of bed before nine. 

Each time I have Dutch Baby Pancakes, not only am I reminded of my favorite place, but my mom and my grandma. I never met my grandma, but when I take my first bite into the gooey goodness of the Dutch Baby Pancake, I feel connected to her, because the pancake was made using her special recipe. The custardy breakfast helps bridge the gap between my grandma and I because we share a love for these unique pancakes, and we share a favorite place.

Credit for photo:

Jui, Tina. 2014. The Worktop. By Tina Jui. Web. 8 Sept. 2016. <http://www.theworktop.com/breakfast-brunch-recipes/german-pancake-dutch-baby-recipe-pancake-day/>.