A tart, apple-ly cinnamon flavor in a soft, pudding-light bread of a pancake that you won’t be able to stop eating.
German Apple Pancake
This delightful German Apple Pancake recipe comes from Carolyn, a passionate pancake maker who runs a website dedicated to perfect pancakes. On a quiet Wednesday morning, she decided to make use of some leftover Granny Smith apples and ended up creating this heavenly dish. She recommends using Braeburn apples for a sweeter pancake, but feel free to experiment with your favorite apple varieties.
Ingredients
For the batter: * 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour * 1 tbsp sugar * 1/2 tsp table salt * 2 large eggs * 2/3 cups half-and-half * 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Apple filling: * 1 1/4 lbs Granny Smith or Braeburn apples (3-4 large apples), peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices * 1/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar * 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon * 1 tsp juice from 1 lemon * 1 tbsp butter * Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Directions
- Set rack on upper-middle position and preheat oven to 500F.
- Whisk dry and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Then combine and beat until smooth.
- Heat the butter in a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon and cook for about 10 minutes or until the apples are a golden brown. Take off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Pour batter around and over apples. Put the skillet in your 500F oven but then quickly turn the temperature down to 425F and bake the pancake until it is golden and puffy – around 18 minutes. Watch it and move your pan around if it gets too brown on one side.
- Remove pan from the oven and loosen sides with a rubber spatula. Invert onto a plate and dust with the confectioners’ sugar.
- The Granny Smith apples can be a bit too tart. Try using Braeburn apples for a sweeter pancake.
- Make sure the batter is more on the sides than in the middle as the puffing can push the apples overboard onto your oven floor!