DUTCH BABY, baby!!!

What’s not to like about a Dutch Baby?  (a.k.a German Pancake)  I mean… It’s a big ‘ole baked pancake!  Which, to me, just says: MORE BREADY-NESS.   YESSSS.  And they are such a cinch to make- basically consisting of eggs, flour, sugar, milk… all things pancake-y, plus some flavorings like vanilla and/or cinnamon, etc.  The batter is made right in the blender, then you just pour it into a preheated, buttered skillet (think popover) and baked until fluffy and golden brown and KILLER.

So . good.

But, of course I had to change a couple things…

So, as much as I love a light and airy something, I LOVE me a dense and condensed something.  It’s just how I prefer my carbs.  It’s why I’ll take a brownie over a cake.  And why I tend to underbake most things in the pastry department.  So I decided to weigh this sucker down just a bit, by making it a bit more nutrient-dense, and see where that took me.  (I’ve been on such a delightful rye flour kick for the past few years that I find myself using it whenever possible!)

So here I decided to go with all rye flour, and instead of milk… Greek yogurt! And then I took it from there. It came out so incredibly delicious, and yes- very dense in the end.  Which, to me, was perfect.  (Also gotta love the fact that you’re getting more fiber and protein here, right?!)  I added fresh rosemary to the batter, because I love rosemary with slightly sweet bready things… and I topped it with honey-sweetened local ricotta and fresh fruit… and it became this lovely and delightful dish that we ate as a family for dinner on the floor with a movie.

Everyone loved it, some of us ate it by hand (ahem…me), and I can’t wait to make it again!

Honestly… it’s in strong competition with my usual Carrot Cake Scones for our Easter breakfast 😉

ROSEMARY RYE DUTCH BABY

WITH HONEYED ( WATER BUFFALO ) RICOTTA

AND SEASONAL FRUIT

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Place 10 inch oven-safe skillet (preferably cast iron) in oven on center rack to heat while you make your batter.
3. Make batter…

In a blender, add the following… in the order it’s given to you to prevent the flour from caking up and sticking to the blender.

• 1 cup/8 oz plain Greek yogurt (full fat is preferred)*
• 4 large eggs
• splash vanilla extract
• fat pinch kosher salt
• 4 TB light brown sugar
• 1 large sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
• 1 cup rye flour

(*I actually used an individual (7 oz) cup of Fage Total, and then made it equal a full 8 oz (1 cup) by adding 1 oz. of half & half, only because it’s what I grabbed.)

Blend, beginning on low and working your way up to med-high speed, until it’s completely smooth.  Continue to blend for a couple minutes to work up some good air bubbles.

Remove hot skillet from oven.

Add to skillet…

• 4 TB unsalted butter, cut into chunks for quicker melting

Allow the butter to melt completely, swirl it around so it reaches the sides of the skillet as well.

Carefully pour in your batter.

Return pan to center rack of oven and bake for 20 minutes.

You know it’s done when the edges are golden brown and have risen, and there is no jiggle when you shake the pan.

Allow to cool slightly, and serve right out of the pan!

with…

.  honeyed ( water buffalo ) ricotta .

In a small bowl, combine…

• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (I like to use really good quality ricotta here, fresh if you can find it… and no, it does not have to be locally made from water buffalo milk 😉 )
• 1 tsp honey (bonus points for local!)
• small pinch kosher salt

. strawberries and grapefruit .

substitute any fruit that’s seasonal!

In a small bowl, combine the following…

• 1 grapefruit, segmented
• 4 large strawberries, sliced 
• light brown sugar to taste… 1/2-1 tsp is a good start
• sprinkling of ground allspice

thanks so much for reading, y’all.  love you to the moon. xo