Dutch Baby (Puffed Pancake)

Absolutely magnificent! And delicious!

A light, puffed pancake using the simplest of ingredients... and it's pretty easy to make, too! A great recipe to involve kids or guests.

This if often called a "German"(Deutsch) pancake. "Deutsch" was simplified to Dutch. Its origins go as far back as a hotel in Hawaii. Whatever it origin, it's a winner and should be in every kitchen's repertoire of easy meals that look "posh".

I'm always amazed when I make this recipe: amazed at the simple, inexpensive ingredients; amazed at how it puffs up like a space galaxy or emerging nebula; amazed at how "French" and professional it looks when done; and then amazed at how good it actually tastes.

Just be sure to have eggs and milk at room temperature. You can nuke the milk just a bit to get it there and put the whole eggs in their shells in some warm water for 5-10 minutes. Some people swear by 2% milk. 

I prefer the classic lemon-and-powdered sugar garnish--lots of powdered sugar. But I've also had it with stewed apples (and powdered sugar). It's also great with fresh berries served in the center and drizzled with honey or maple syrup.

This makes for a great Sunday breakfast or a light, evening meal. Spread it with some Boursin cheese or your favorite goat cheese and scatter it with some fresh tomato, onion and smoked salmon. Fill it with your favorite salad greens and some chopped ham--drizzle with your favorite dressing. The Internet is filled with great ideas. And, like I said, involve kids. They will be thrilled to watch it puff like magic. Even teens!

• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature 
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 tablespoons butter
• Confectioners' sugar
• Juice of fresh lemon
• Cast Iron Skillet, 10 or 12 inch

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the flour, milk, nutmeg, vanilla and lightly beat until blended but still slightly lumpy. I use an old-fashioned egg beater. A whisk works well, too. Or just use a blender.

An enamel-lined cast-iron skillet like this works well.

Place butter in skillet and put in oven. When butter is melted, pour in the batter and return to oven. Bake until pancake is billowing on the edges and golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Note the raised, brown edges. No two pancakes will ever look the same!

Remove from pan and plate. The pancake will fall, so don't be alarmed. Squeeze on lemon juice and dust with powdered sugar. I say "dust" to be polite. Pile it on in drifts like a Midwest blizzard!

Here's how America Test Kitchen makes theirs: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/9643-german-pancake-for-two

Notes: If you don't have an iron skillet, you may sub a cake pan or pie dish, just alter the batter according to size. If you use a regular skillet, make sure the handle is heat-proof. If you don't have nutmeg, omit--or add a sprinkle of cinnamon. I've also used apple pie spice.

No-Cook, Fresh, Cranberry Relish Everyone Will Like

Even people who don't like cranberry relish gobble this up. At its best, it should be prepared a week or so ahead so the sugar "cooks" the relish. It lasts forever in the refrigerator and becomes better with age. I am just now finishing up the last bit I made from last winter. For whatever reason, fresh cranberries disappear from produce shelves way too early. So, plan ahead. Make triple recipes.

Please note: this is a relish. Not a sauce or a "jellied"sauce. To be honest, it is really a kind of "jam." When I first started to blog, it was my #1 recipe. Like I said, make a large batch. It isn't just for Thanksgiving.

I really owe the success of this recipe to being raised a Catholic. I attended Catholic school for 12 years. When I was in the seventh grade, we moved to a much smaller town than the one in which I was raised. My school shrunk into a four-room, two-story brick building constructed in 1900. It was considered "modern" for its time and housed a bell tower complete with attic. I loved that old school. Sadly, it was demolished to make room for an even more "modern" one. No comparison.

One Saturday in autumn, on my Schwin bicycle, I delivered several paper bags of  natural peat moss from a rotting log I had discovered in the woods to the convent to improve the soil for planting spring bulbs. Mind you, the "convent" was an old house. Vintage. The school was on one side. The convent, rectory and church were on the other. In between was a large, historic cemetery. For a kid, it was all pretty cool.

The back door was off of a porch/pantry. The doorbell was very old-fashioned. It was a real bell you turned or twisted from the outside.  I could hear laughter inside, but no one answered. After several turns of the bell (it was fun), finally, Sister Jerome showed up. She was the "principal" of the school. Wearing an apron I had never seen on any nun, she was all smiles and jovial. She explained she and the rest of the Sisters were attempting to make cranberry relish. When they put the berries in the mill to grind, they squirted all over them. Hence, the laughter. 

In a way, I felt kind of special to be included.  Great. Sister Jerome inspected what I had called "peat moss" and had me sprinkle it over the borders. It was a love/hate relationship with that nun. But, looking back, I think she was the one who had a love/hate relationship with herself. My understanding is that she left the convent. Probably. She was too gifted to be confined by a manual doorbell. And to be named after a male.

So, flash forward ... The first time I attempted to make cranberry relish was when I myself was a young teacher. I thought it would be easy and fun like the Sisters at my school. 

Wrong!

It was so horrible and bitter I dared not bring it home for Thanksgiving. But, I hated to throw it away since it took so much work to chop chop chop ... so I kept it in the fridge and just kind of added more sugar, day by day, tasting after each addition. Then, one day, a miracle happened. The heavens opened! It was ideal and just kind of turned into a lovely "jam." It was absolutely delicious without any bitterness. Hallelujah! Long story short,  I brought it home for Christmas and it was an instant hit and has become a family favorite and staple at our holiday table.

One holiday when I wasn't home for the holidays, I had to actually send a quart by express mail! 

I dare you not to make this. I double dare you not to make this. I triple dare you not to make this. Just do it. Heaven wants to shine on you and your family and your feast. Cmon. You can do it. Really. It's too easy not to ... 

• 1 bag fresh cranberries
• 1-2 oranges
• White sugar. And lots of it. About 4 cups
• 
  

Carefully go over cranberries and remove old shriveled ones. Cut one orange into smaller sections (including the peel) and remove seeds if necessary. Place some berries and orange sections in food processor or mini prep and pulse/grind. Remember, this is a relish, so don't over grind into a puree. Remove to large bowl. Sometimes I add a bit more juice from another orange if mixture seems too dry. If the orange is bland, I sometimes add a bit more zest from the second orange. Add 1-2 cups of sugar. Cover and place in refrigerator.

For the next several days, add 1/2 cup sugar at a time and stir. In total, you will probably use about 2 pounds of sugar or 4 cups. By the fifth day or so the flavors will really begin to blend and you should be able to just taste a bit of orange. After about a week, it will have "jellied" and you are in cranberry Nirvana.

This is the perfect side to anything savory or bland. Of course, it's wonderful with stuffing. I love it with kreplach. Put in small jars, it makes for a much-appreciated gift.

Notes: Last year I just dumped all the sugar into a bowl with the processed berries and oranges and then stirred at least once a day for a week or so.  It was just fine! The thrill of dumping in a 4 pound bag of sugar is worth it! When allowed to sit, the sugar mingles and mellows the tart berries and orange peel. If made and served too soon, it will be way too sweet.

Daily Bread

When sliced supermarket bread began to hit the three-dollar mark, I hauled out my old bread recipe and began making my own loaves. A bag of bread flour is only four bucks. If I make only two loaves a week, that's a considerable savings. Artisan breads are even more expensive!

Rapid-rise yeast makes an easy go of the whole process and if you've never attempted to make bread, it's really not at all complicated and a great weekend project. It's also a great excuse to use all those nice bowls you have tucked away in the cabinet---oh, you know what I mean! You will need one good heavy one to allow the bread to rise. Sorry, but I don't do bread machines.

I've made many, many bread recipes through the years, and this is the one I've settled on. It makes a nice loaf that slices thin, so it's great for sandwiches, and it's particularly great for toast. The egg yolk gives a nice "crumb" and texture to this loaf.

Everyday Bread

Makes one loaf*

• 1 pkg. rapid, quick-rise yeast combined with 1/4 cup warm water and a pinch or two of white sugar
• 1 cup hot water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1-2 tablespoons honey (or brown sugar)
• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour

(To make two loaves, increase yeast to 3 teaspoons with 1/2 cup warm water, increase water to 1.5 cups, double butter, and honey but be careful of the salt. Use about 7 cups of flour.)

Preheat oven to lowest temp. Turn off and keep door closed.

Measure out the flour in a separate bowl.

Combine the yeast mixture in a one-cup glass measuring cup. Stir to dissolve yeast and place in the warm oven. This is "proofing" the yeast. If it's "alive" it will begin to bubble and froth. When it reaches the one-cup mark, remove.

Meanwhile, microwave the one cup of water until hot. In a large bowl, add the butter, honey (or brown sugar) and salt. Pour in the hot water and stir until butter is melted. Set aside for it to cool a bit. You want a temperature of about 90 degrees. Taste. Saltiness should be in the foreground with a hint of honey in the background. When warm, whisk in the egg yolk. Now add the yeast mixture. Stir.

To the yeast mixture, whisk in about one to one-and-a-half cups of flour until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap or towel and place in the warm oven until the mixture doubles in size and is bubbly. This is called making the "sponge." After about 30 minutes, it should look like this:

Now begin mixing in the rest of the flour one-half cup at a time and until the dough becomes difficult to mix in and flour begins to cling to the sides of the bowl. Scrape it out unto a floured surface and begin to knead. It will be sticky and you will have to flour it. The goal is to try and not to use any more of the 4.5 cups of flour that you originally measured in the bowl. 

Knead for a good 10-15 minutes. To knead dough: fold in half towards you and then knead/push with the bottom or heels of your hands. Give it a one-fourth turn, fold in half again towards you, and knead. Sprinkle with flour as needed and give another 1/4 turn. 

The dough will tell you when it no longer needs any flour because it will just begin to stop sticking and become elastic and firm and smooth. After about 10-15 minutes, it should look like this:

This is about two pounds and makes one loaf of bread.

Lightly grease a large, heavy bowl (I use olive oil). Place your dough ball in and then turn upside down so the greased side is now up. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap.

Place in the warm oven. If necessary, preheat the oven on warm while kneading the dough then turn off. Yeast needs a warm, not hot, environment to ferment. If too hot, the yeast will die.

After 30 minutes, the dough will have doubled. Gently, go around the bowl and fold the sides inward to deflate. If necessary, put a bit more oil on top. Cover and return to warm oven to double yet again. After 30 minutes is should be double and leave an indent when you fingers are pushed in it:

Meanwhile, grease your loaf pan. I used lard. It makes for the best crust:

I don't think anything should be "punched" and that includes dough. Many call for "punching" down the dough. Don't. You want those little air bubbles. Remove the dough to a floured surface. Gently begin forming into a rectangle, the width about as wide as the bottom of the pan you are using:

Fold one end to the center, and then the other:

Pinch the seams a bit and then begin to form into a roll by folding again and keeping to the size of the pan:

Pinch the side seams closed and place in your greased bread pan. Cover and place in warm oven until it doubles in size and is even with the top of your pan. Remove from oven and with a sharp knife or razor blade, make a 1/2 -inch slit down the center. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Place bread pan on center rack and bake for 30-35 minutes. The top will be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. If not sure, remove the bread from the oven and  gently tilt out the bread. Using an instant-read thermometer, insert in the bottom of the bread (you want to keep the steam in the bread--poking a hole in the top allows the steam to escape). You want a reading of 200-210. If not done, simply re-insert bread and bake more as needed. 

Your loaf should go from this:

to this:

The loaf will continue to rise once it bakes in the oven.

Remove the loaf and place on it's side across the pan to cool:

As tempting as it is, DO NOT cut and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. Cutting into a fresh loaf of hot bread allows the steam to escape and will create a dry texture. 

Once it has cooled, slice away and enjoy! When it is totally cooled, it will be easier to make thin slices.

Toasting enhances the yeast flavor. Here I've slathered it
with my homemade strawberry/kiwi/ginger jam.

For the time being, simply put the bread cut side down on a plate. Once it has completely cooled, store in plastic wrap. I just use an old plastic bread sleeve. 

When my grandmother retired, she took cooking lessons at this cooking school in downtown Chicago:

A few decades letter she gave the cookbook to me:

'To my Grandson Gary. From Grandma Dason
Love you & Love Your Bread.

It is from this cookbook that my mother makes a family tradition: "Oysters a la Rockefeller." But that's another recipe and another blog.

(c) Gary T. Czerwinski 2010

Click below to watch 93-year-old Clara make bread like they did from The Great Depression. It's an interesting recipe and technique:

YouTube - Great Depression Cooking - Fresh Bread (Peppers and Eggs part 2)

Kreplach

Tender egg-pasta enclose savory ground meat simply and peasantly spiced with onion, garlic and parsley. Boiled, they are served in a butter sauce, heavily salted and peppered, with a side of boiled cabbage.

It has been a matter of speculation most of my life about any "jewish heritage" on my mother's side of the family. Growing up, I was often asked if I were Jewish as was my younger sister. I think it's my swarthy complexion and sexy lips! Or so I was told.

There are family stories of my great, great grandfather talking with "brethern" on synogogue steps in Chicago. And, somewhere along the way,  there is someone's birth certificate with the surname of "Jacobs."

Be that as it may, and even though we were raised devout Catholics, it just may be my family's culinary heritage that provides the most telling evidence. We grew up on kreplach and latkes; but, we called them "dumplings" and "potato pancakes." Those two words alone are enough to send any family member into a salivating swoon, regardless of religious affiliation. Or pouty lips.

Kreplach can be folded in many ways.
This is my preferred way. Hold the dumpling
in your left hand. Pinch and fold the ends all the way around.

Kreplach is labor intensive. I won't lie about that. But if you have an extra pair of hands or two, the work goes quickly. And they freeze beautifully, so always make extra.

A food processor makes easy work of preparing the dough. My grandmother used to heap the flour on the counter and make a well in the center for the eggs and water. It was always quite a mess, and clean up was horrible, which included each and every finger! With the processor, you actually get a better dough, I think. And you can easily prepare the meat the night before, which I often do to give it better flavor.

A food processor or mini-prep simplifies dough-making.

Basic Kreplach Dough Recipe

• Basic Dough/Noodle Recipe:
• 1 cup flour
• 2 egg yolks (My Grandma used one whole egg.)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon olive oil*
• 1/4 cup tepid water + a bit more if needed

Egg yolks make for a richer dough!

Place flour and salt in processor. Pulse. Add egg yolks and pulse until fine. Add olive oil and pulse. With motor running and lid on, dribble the tepid water through the holes in the lid of the processor. When dough leaves the sides of the processor, it is done. You may need to add a tablespoon or more of water, but always add just a dribble at a time.

Remove to a lightly-floured surface and knead just a few times. If the dough seems a bit wet, knead in a bit more flour. (It's better to have the dough too wet than too dry.)

This dough is a bit too dry and needs just a dribble or two more of water.

This dough is a tad too wet, but okay.
It just needs to be kneaded on a floured surface a few times and it will be fine.

Cover dough with a piece of plastic wrap, towel, or bowl and let rest for 30 minutes. Do not attempt to roll out the dough until it has rested. Do not use paper towel, waxed paper or tinfoil to cover dough as they will end up sticking to the dough.

After 30 minutes, the dough will be soft and pliable. Flour a surface and begin rolling out the dough into a circle. I go thin. Think noodle. Using a 3-inch cutter, begin cutting out circles. Save the scraps of dough and re-roll. You should end up with about 20 circles.

I used an English antique biscuit cutter.
My grandmother used a glass dipped in flour.
 (I was bad and used 3 egg yolks in this dough--you can see the tinge of yellow.)

Meat Filling:

• 8 ounces (1/2 lb.) finely ground chuck
• 1/4 cup fresh, finely-cut curly parsley
• 2-4 tablespoons finely diced yellow onion
• 1-2 small garlic cloves, finely diced--smashed to a paste is even better
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. It's important to have a fine dice on the onion since the meatballs are rather small. I often cheat and just add dried onion flakes, garlic powder and dried parsley flakes. Form into small "meatballs." You are looking for about 20.

While I'm waiting for the dough to rest, I make the meatballs.

Stuffing can be ground beef, chicken, turkey, even salmon.
As you can see, the meatballs are not large
and should fit inside a tablespoon.

TO ASSEMBLE:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil as you fill dumplings.

Place one meatball off center in one of your cut circles of dough being careful to place it on the opposite side that has been floured. Fold over and seal edges. Place on a floured surface until done. Leftover meat can simply be added to the pot of boiling water along with scraps of leftover dough.

I prefer a ruffled or roped edge.

Carefully place the kreplach in the boiling water being careful not to overcrowd too much. Stir once so none stick to bottom of pan. Place on lid and return to the boil, keeping an eye on the pot so it doesn't boil over. Boil for about ten minutes. You know they will be done when the center puffs up from steam ( a reason to keep the lid on, not off).

Using a slotted spoon, remove to a large bowl. Ladle in a bit of the water and several tablespoons of butter. Add salt and pepper. Cover with a plate and allow to sit for about five minutes or so.

Traditionally, my family always served this with a side of boiled cabbage. Remember, pasta can take a lot of salt. I like to serve with a side of sour cream.

For added flavor, add a bit of onion to your cabbage when you boil it.

NOTES

*My grandmother never used olive oil in her dough, but it makes for a much more tender dough. When I told her I added it, she grabbed me by the arm and exclaimed, "You improved it!"

TO FREEZE: place uncooked dumplings on a baking sheet and place in freezer. When frozen, put into plastic bags. To cook, simply put frozen into boiling water and cook per above instructions, adding about 5 minutes or so.

TO ADD TO SOUP: These are wonderful added to chicken or turkey soup. I never cook them in the soup, though, since the raw dough and flour compromises the taste of the stock. Cook separately in a pot of water and then add to soup.

If you are making several batches of kreplach, a latex glove helps. Mound the meat in the palm of your hand and gently squeeze out each meatball. It makes fast work of it.

I always intend to fry leftover kreplach, but there never are any. I would like to sautee them in a sage/butter sauce.

Kreplach is peasant food at its finest. And, it's economical.

Hi, Grandma! Look at that pose . . .