May 17: Super Terrific Happy Thing #15

When I first decided to do super terrific happy thing posts, I made a mental note not to write all of them about food. That is me MAKING A SACRIFICE, people! Once in a while is okay, but I wanted to make myself think a little beyonder (a made-up word just for you, Fancy Lori™) and write about super terrific happy things that don’t necessarily end with YUMMY YUMMY IN MY TUMMY.

I made it as far as my third super terrific happy thing post before it became a food one. Shut up.

Dutch Babies (some people call them German pancakes)

I can’t remember where I first ate a Dutch Baby, but it had to have been at a friend’s house because my mom never would have let me sprinkle that much powdered sugar on my breakfast at home. I ordered a Dutch Baby at Elmer’s the other day and had forgotten how much I enjoy them, so I dug out my recipe when I got home. I got this from a long-gone local coffee company and have been using it for about 25 years.

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Dutch Babies

PAN SIZE	BUTTER	EGGS	MILK AND FLOUR
2-3 quarts/11” pan	¼ cup	3	¾ cup each
3-4 quarts/11” pan	⅓ cup	4	1 cup each
4-4½ quarts/13” pan	½ cup	5	1¼ cup each
4½-5 quarts/15” pan	½ cup	6	1½ cup each

1. Select the recipe proportions to fit your pan and get out ingredients.
2. Put butter in pan and set into a 425° oven.
3. Quickly mix batter while butter melts. Put eggs in food processor and whirl at high speed for one minute.
4. With motor running, gradually pour in milk, then slowly add flour. Continue whirling for 30 seconds.
5. Remove pan from oven and pour batter into the hot melted butter.
6. Return to oven and bake until puffy and well browned, 20-25 minutes.
7. Dust with ground nutmeg and serve with powdered sugar and lemon wedges.

Jen’s notes:

• When I first started making Dutch Babies at home, I didn’t have a food processor so I used a blender. Now I have a food processor but I think the blender works just as well and it’s a lot easier to clean.
• I’ve never in my life had nutmeg on a Dutch Baby. I’ve always used lemon juice and powdered sugar. I had strawberry compote topping at Elmer’s and liked it very much, and am now thinking of all sorts of directions I could take the fresh fruit thang… mmmmmm…
• I’d be curious to know of anyone who’s tried this with savory toppings. Good? Better? Too omelet-y?
• I recommend sausage or bacon as a side. Dutch Babies can be sweet.
• If you add raisins to this recipe I will come to your house and kill you.

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Here’s how the completed Dutch Baby looked when I took it out of the oven:

The sides were a little taller before it cooled. Notice the pools of melted butter in a few spots; they signify extreme deliciousness. Here are lots more photos of Dutch Babies. And here are lots more recipes. Take your pick.

Dutch Babies are super, terrific, and they’re a thing that makes me happy. YUMMY YUMMY IN MY TUMMY.