Barefoot Contessa Dutch Baby Recipes

DUTCH BABY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Put a 10-inch cast iron skillet or oven-safe nonstick pan into the oven and heat for at least 5 minutes.
• In a blender, combine the eggs, flour, milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, the salt, and vanilla. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender jar as necessary, about 30 seconds.
• Open the oven door and drop the butter into the preheated skillet. Close the oven and allow the butter to melt, about 2 minutes (do not let it burn). Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and place an oven mitt or dishtowel over the handle to remind yourself that it's hot. Pour the batter into the buttered skillet and carefully place the skillet back into the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven (again, place an oven mitt or dishtowel over the handle to remind yourself that it's hot). Dust with confectioners' sugar and top with berries, if desired, then cut into wedges and serve with maple syrup.

DUTCH BABY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Combine eggs, flour, milk, sugar and nutmeg in a blender jar and blend until smooth. Batter may also be mixed by hand.
• Place butter in a heavy 10-inch skillet or baking dish and place in the oven. As soon as the butter has melted (watch it so it does not burn) add the batter to the pan, return pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake five minutes longer.
• Remove pancake from oven, cut into wedges and serve at once topped with syrup, preserves, confectioners' sugar or cinnamon sugar.

TRI-BERRY OVEN PANCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Gently combine the berries and sugar in a small bowl and set aside while you make the pancakes. Place 4 (6- to 7-inch) individual gratin dishes on two sheet pans. Place 1 teaspoon of butter in each gratin dish and set aside.
• Place the eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until mixed. Add the milk and combine. Slowly add the flour, vanilla, orange zest, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and the salt and mix just until smooth. Whisk by hand if the mixture is lumpy.
• Place the gratin dishes in the oven for 3 minutes, until the butter is hot and bubbly. Make sure the butter covers the bottom of each dish. Immediately divide the batter equally among the gratin dishes and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned. Divide the berries among the dishes, drizzle with maple syrup, dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve hot.

VANILLA DUTCH BABY (PUFFED PANCAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the butter in a large, ovenproof, nonstick saute pan and place in the oven.
• Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the eggs, flour, warm milk, sugar, vanilla extract and pinch of salt, and blend on medium-high speed until uniform. (If mixing by hand, combine the eggs with the milk until the mixture is light yellow and no longer stringy, about 1 minute. Add the flour, sugar, vanilla, and pinch of salt, and whisk vigorously to remove the lumps, about 30 seconds.)
• Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. The butter should be melted. Swirl the butter around the pan to coat completely, and then pour the remaining butter into the batter and pulse to blend. Pour the batter into the hot pan and return the pan to the oven. Cook until the pancake is puffed in the center and golden brown along the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Using a spatula, remove the entire Dutch baby from the pan and place on a cooling rack for a few minutes to allow the steam to escape without condensing along the bottom and rendering the pancake soggy. Dust with confectioners' sugar when cooled slightly. Slice the pancake into 8 wedges on a serving platter or cutting board.

DUTCH BABY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut up butter into small pieces, and place in cast iron Dutch oven or skillet without the lid on. Place Dutch oven in hot oven. Prepare batter in a blender by placing eggs in and blending until foamy. Add milk, flour, salt and vanilla and blend until combined. When butter has fully melted in skillet, carefully remove hot Dutch oven from oven and swirl butter to coat pan. Quickly pour batter in skillet and place back in hot oven. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned. Remove from oven and cut into wedges and place on serving plates. Cut tablespoon pats of butter, and place a pat on each serving. Cut lemon in half, and squeeze juice over wedges and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.