The Stirling House Dutch Pancake

From THE STIRLING HOUSE

I don't know about you but I just love baked pancakes with a sweet fruit filling - you know the ones that rise really high, are dusted with powdered sugar, and are huge one pan meals for a group!  Well, today we've got a recipe for one of those amazing baked pancakes.  The recipe, 'Dutch Pancake', is from Chef Clay at The Stirling House Bed & Breakfast (Greenport, NY).  As Clay says: "I've had training at the French Culinary Institute, but more than that, I learned about cooking from my grandmother when I spent my summers in Paris as a kid.  I always loved baking.  I like to take recipes and step them up a notch---put a new spin on them. Here is one of our guest's favorite recipes. It is easy to make, and yet makes quite an entrance when it is brought out. I hope you enjoy it too!".  Not only is the recipe straightforward but it is also flexible - you can use whatever combination of fruit you have on hand and it's still great…

Ingredients

  • The Pancake
  • 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour; King Arthur rocks!
  • 1/2 cup COLD milk
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/4 tsp. Salt
  • 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
  • 4 tbs. Butter; divided
  • 1 tsp. Lemon
  • The Filling
  • 2 tbs. Butter
  • 2 tbs. Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
  • 2 oz. Grand Marnier Liquor
  • 3 cups (total) Strawberries and Bananas and Peaches; sliced thick
  • Some Powdered Sugar
  • 1 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1/3 cup Whipped Cream

Directions

And a cast iron skillet is fantastic!
 
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. 

1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet on low heat. Swirl it around covering the bottom and sides completely. 
2. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl.

3. Blend the milk, eggs and vanilla. Make sure it is well blended. Add 2 tablespoons melted butter.

4. Add the dry ingredients to this and blend well, and quickly.

5. Pour your batter into the well coated skillet and slide that into the oven for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.  Lower the heat to 350 degrees after that and bake for 10 more minutes. (BEST if you never open the door, and even better if you have a stone in your oven (which you should!)

6. Now the filling.  In a deep sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter on low heat, adding the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and Grand Marnier.   Turn the heat to medium and add in the fruit and turn with a spoon to coat it until it is browned (about five minutes, or until you are happy)

7. Take the pancake out of the oven and add the splash of lemon juice to the base. Then liberally sprinkle it with powdered sugar. (I do this outside---don't be shy).  Pour your  pan of hot fruit filling into the center of the pancake. Top with fresh whipped cream and bring it out on a platter to your breakfast guests. Cut it in front of them.

HINTS

  • This will rise really high, if you never open the door
  • You can change the fruit combinations to your own (or guest's) tastes - i.e. peaches, pear and blackberries, all blueberries, whatever you like!
  • This recipe is for a standard cast iron skillet. If you have 2 small ones, this will work great for 2 smaller pancakes.
  • You can substitute Grand Marnier for Cointreau, or not use liquor at all. I use alcohol in as many recipes as possible...but hey, I'm French!

Enjoy! 

Back to Recipe