Something New

When I saw that today’s #FebPhotoADay was “something new,” I figured whatever something was should revolve around food. Then I found out Mama Bender had grand plans for breakfast.

Our mission? To replicate the Walker Bros. and Original Pancake House classic: the Dutch baby.

What is a Dutch baby, you ask? It’s also known as a German pancake, and what it essentially consists of is eggs, milk, flour and salt. It’s traditionally served with powdered sugar and fresh-squeezed lemon juice, though many people now use various types of fruit toppings, as well.

A few days ago, Elise from Simply Recipes featured a Dutch Baby guest recipe post from Stephanie Stiavetti. (Side note: I didn’t know Mama Bender read Elise’s blog until recently, but I find that awesome.) And so, breakfast was served.

You can find the exact recipe here: Dutch baby. The only substitution we made was to use whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour, and I honestly could not tell a difference. We prepped the skillet in the oven while simultaneously blending all of the batter ingredients together. Once the batter was creamy and the skillet was piping hot and buttered, we combined the two.

We returned the pan to the oven and baked it at 400* for 20 minutes. It was fun to watch it puff up.

Once the 20 minutes were up, we had a golden brown masterpiece not unlike the restaurant variety.

After it had been in the cool air for awhile, the pancake sunk a bit to give it the characteristic hollowed look in the center. Using a spatula, we coaxed it from the pan and onto a plate.

Top with your choice of fruit – we went with bananas, blueberries and raspberries – plus a bit of powdered sugar, and you have one incredible breakfast. It’s definitely big enough to share between 2-3 people. Depends on how hungry you are. 😉

I did a rough estimate of a serving size on CalorieKing. The results surprised me a bit – in a good way.

Serving Size: 1/2 pancake (this does not include fruit topping)

• Calories: 379
• Fat: 12g
• Carbohydrates: 50g
• Protein: 16g
• Fiber: 5g

It doesn’t scream health food, but you have to admit that a thick, doughy whole wheat pancake that keeps you satiated for hours with 16g of protein and 5g of fiber is pretty darn good.

After I posted about it on Facebook today, I received some great tips for next time from Brandi (throw some sliced peaches or apricots in the bottom of the pan before you add the batter) and Amy (check out this Tribune recipe that her mom always used). Shannon also said she made one this past weekend. I’m glad I finally caught up with all of you on the Dutch baby train, and learned “something new,” too.

Hopefully now one of you will try it! Please let me know if you do!

What’s “something new” you’ve done or tried this week?

Abrazos,