Lemony Dutch Baby with Mixed Berry Sauce

We did it, we did it! We made it all the way to Friday.  The weekend is here and it's time to have some fun, do nothing, bake some treats, and sleep in.  Sleeping in...HA!  As if I do that on the weekends.  I mean, I guess waking up at 8 in the morning on weekends instead of 6:30 is slightly better, but I really just long for a lazy, lazy, lazy Saturday or Sunday where I wake up at 11 am, that critical hour where it's too late to really eat breakfast but too early to eat lunch.  The only obvious solution to such a critical dilemma is to simply make something delicious and special for breakfast, and pretend it's a substantial lunch meal anyway.

That's exactly what I chose to do last weekend (minus the waking up at 11 am part).  I woke up at my normal weekend hour, and just wasn't in the mood for breakfast.  I'm not sure why, because I've grown to really like having breakfast every morning, but this past Sunday I was just not feeling it. Maybe I was lazy, maybe I wanted to change up my routine, maybe a bit of both.  Whatever my reasons for not having breakfast that day were, I found myself at the critical 11 am hour hungry and in need of food.  I hadn't had breakfast, and it was too early for lunch, so I did the only reasonable thing and made myself a Dutch Baby for lunch.  I wouldn't call it brunch, because there was no lunch element to this meal, aside from the time it was consumed.  This was pure breakfast for lunch.



A Dutch Baby was the perfect thing to make for my breakfast for lunch scenario, simply because breakfast foods don't get any easier than Dutch Baby's (or is it Babies? I have no idea).  If you can preheat a cast iron skillet in the oven and blend some ingredients together in a blender,  then you're well on your way to creating one of my all time favorite breakfast treats.  The Dutch Baby is a showstopping breakfast goodie that is impressive, delicious, and the lazy-baker's ultimate secret weapon.  It's visually beautiful, and highly entertaining.  I've been making Dutch Baby's for years now, and I still get a thrill from turning on the oven light and peering into the oven to watch how the pancake rises.  I'm not sure if I like watching the pancake rise or slowly deflate immediately upon its removal from the oven more.  You'll be swooning over this magical breakfast treat.  

This Dutch Baby keeps the flavors very simple.  Only a hint of fresh lemon zest and vanilla extract flavor the pancake, which is kind of like a cross between a clafoutis, crepe, and traditional pancake in texture.  Flour, eggs, milk, vanilla, and lemon zest get blended together to make a very thin batter, which is then poured into a very hot cast iron skillet that's been generously coated with melted butter (a cake pan can also be utilized instead of the skillet).  The eggs make the edges of the Dutch Baby rise above and beyond the rim of the cast iron skillet while the center remains flat, giving you the perfect well to add in your favorite sauces and syrups.  For this Dutch Baby, I used some frozen blueberries and strawberries that I had frozen earlier to make a quick and simple mixed berry sauce.  It was easy to make, so it fit into my super lazy Sunday breakfast for lunch scheme, but if that sounds like too much work, I'm sure a thin drizzle of maple syrup or honey would be really lovely with the Dutch Baby as well.  

Dutch Baby's have quickly become one of my favorite things for special weekend breakfasts.  They're fun and unusual, magical and delicious, and so, so, so simple to make.  I love them for all these reasons, and they're perfect for breakfast, or could even be served as a simple, totally casual dessert.  Dutch Baby with ice cream on the side?  Heck yeah!  I think that will have to be my next venture with the Dutch Baby.  But until then, here's to the weekend and the ultimate lazy morning breakfast for lunch treat.  Enjoy!

Lemony Dutch Baby with Mixed Berry Sauce
pancake recipe from Epicurious

Ingredients

For the Mixed Berry Sauce

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
4 oz fresh or frozen blueberries
8 oz fresh or frozen strawberries

For the Dutch Baby

3 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup whole milk at room temperature
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Directions

Begin by preparing the mixed berry sauce. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the water, sugar, and lemon zest and bring to a simmer.  Let the mixture cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has melted and the syrup begins to thicken slightly, about 7 minutes.  Add the blueberries and strawberries, and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, just until the berries have been heated through and begin to soften but haven't burst.  Remove the sauce from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.  Chill until ready to use. 

While the syrup is cooling, prepare the Dutch Baby.  Position 10-inch cast iron skillet on a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 450 degrees F.  Combine the eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest in a blender and blend until smooth (the batter will be thin). 

Once the oven has preheated, remove the cast iron skillet from the oven and add the butter to the hot skillet, swirling to coat.  Once all the butter has melted, pour in the batter, and immediately return the skillet to the oven. Bake until the pancake has puffed and turned golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Serve immediately with the mixed berry sauce, before the pancake deflates.  Enjoy! 

Makes 1 10-inch Dutch Baby