Puffed Pancake
The recipe I've made for years is from The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas. If you google puffed pancake you will find many variations. Below is a combination of several.
The recipe I've made for years is from The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas. If you google puffed pancake you will find many variations. Below is a combination of several.
- Carbohydrate 46.21828 g
- Cholesterol 325.7975 mg
- Fat 11.15047375 g
- Fiber 3.51675010681152 g
- Protein 14.4999375 g
- Saturated Fat 4.389513375 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (224g)
- Sodium 132.217375 mg
- Sugar 42.7015298931885 g
- Trans Fat 1.674959 g
- Calories 341 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place butter in dish and melt in oven. When melted, remove from oven and add apples (if you like, you can sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar; I leave them plain). Return to oven until butter sizzles but does not turn brown.
- In the meantime, beat together the eggs, milk, flour, and salt until very smooth.
- Remove the dish from oven and immediately pour batter into hot dish and place back in oven. After 15 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 5-10 minutes. The pancake should be light brown and crisp. It will fall when removed from the oven.
- Serve it hot with confectioners sugar and lemon wedges, fresh fruit, jam or preserves, or cinnamon-sugar.
Standard measurements on a page cannot reveal how aggressively this batter behaves once it hits high heat. Achieving a successful rise requires heating the baking dish thoroughly inside a 450-degree oven so the butter foams without scorching. Tart Granny Smith apples provide necessary acidity to cut through the rich egg custard, preventing the dish from tasting overly heavy. Pouring the smooth batter directly over sizzling fat triggers the immediate steam expansion responsible for the dramatic side walls.
Complements and Accompaniments
Acid-forward components balance the dense protein structure of the baked eggs. Fresh lemon wedges squeezed directly onto the hot surface provide a sharp contrast to the rich dairy and starch. Confectioners' sugar dissolves on contact, adding sweetness without weighting down the delicate, crisp perimeter. Tart fruit preserves or fresh berries work equally well when paired with the warm apple slices embedded at the base.
- Bake at 450 degrees for exactly fifteen minutes before dropping the dial to 350 degrees to prevent the interior from collapsing prematurely.
- Whisk the eggs, milk, and flour vigorously until entirely free of lumps to ensure uniform steam pockets throughout the dish.
- Serve immediately upon removal from the oven, as the structure deflates rapidly once ambient air cools the trapped steam.
