Dutch Baby

For most things I make, and really most recipes I put here, instructions are more like guides; However this one really needs some attention to a few details or else it will all go wrong. So listen to my words children. . .

Dutch Baby
. . .  Because that is what it is really called, and the Dutch get so little food credit in my neck of the woods

Ingredients:

• 1/3 Cup White Sugar
• 3 Large Eggs at room temperature (left out of fridge for about 30 minutes, but no more than 1 hour)
• 2/3 Cup Milk, also at room temperature, same rules. NOT skim milk, it must have some fat
• 2/3 Cup Flour
• 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• Pinch Salt
• About 3 Tablespoons Butter

Special Tools:

Cast Iron Skillet or Dutch oven without a lid. Must be heavy cast iron cook ware!

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 °F with the skillet inside the oven, to heat both at the same time.
2. Beat eggs in stand mixer with whisk attachment or with electric hand beaters until they are pale and frothy. At least 5 minutes. 
3. Add milk, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt beating mixture till smooth. 
4. Continue to beat for about 2 minutes, batter will be very thin and light set aside.
5. Once oven and skillet are at temperature, remove skillet from oven and add butter to pan and use a brush to coat the bottom of skillet and all the sides evenly. 
6. Return skillet to oven for additional 10 minutes. 
7. Just before removing skillet from oven, beat batter again for about 1 minute.  
8. Quickly but carefully remove skillet from oven and pour in batter and return to oven immediately. 
9. Bake till puffed and golden brown which takes between 18 and 25 minutes. 
10. Serve fresh from the oven for best results.

Topping Options:

-Berry sauce, any berry!
-Maple syrup
-Icing sugar
- Half and Half mixture of citrus zest and white sugar (lemon works well)
-Jam
-Jelly
-Nutella
-Whipped Cream

Enjoy!

Notes:

No I didn't name this one and I don't remember where it came from but I do know this is delicious! It is kind of like a pancake but better somehow. It's hard to explain till you've tried it, but once you do try it I promise it'll become a breakfast and brunch favorite. Especially since there are a lot of ways to finish the dish, I'll leave some of my suggestions and variations I've tried on the bottom of the recipe.

Tips and Tricks:
You MUST have a cast iron skillet or cast iron pot or wok or something made from heavy stoneware for this recipe to work properly. I've done it in a cast iron casserole dish with success but a skillet is best. If you use a casserole dish some of the wow factor from this will be lost because instead of the batter puffing up like a balloon it will simply crawl up the sides of the casserole dish.  Either way it will be yummy.

Using cast iron cookware tips: I'm going to assume that you already know the basics if you own such a nice piece of cooking equipment but here are some basic tips to help you keep your nice cookware, nice.  Cast iron needs to be seasoned well in order for this recipe, and most recipes in fact to work.  Seasoning is the process of oiling the hot skillet.  The basic rule is to never add oil to a cold skillet, so allow your skillet to preheat, then season it by pouring a small amount of oil into it, and spreading it with a silicone cooking brush to coat the entire bottom, and all sides of the pan. Allow the pan to come back up to temperature and re-brush the inside of the pan to ensure it is well seasoned. This process basically makes the cast iron act almost like a non-stick pan, which is what we want so our Dutch Baby will pop right out! (Terrible joke, I already know it).