Oven-Puffed Pancake with Berries

I'm all for pancakes in the morning, but I am not a fan of standing at the stovetop endlessly pouring and flipping. The oven-puffed pancake (a.k.a., Dutch baby, Dutch pancake, German pancake) is the solution. Pour it in, bake it, and you are ready to go in a flash. Plus, with the dramatic puff as it emerges from the oven -- and then the warm custardy center -- this pancake has a whole lot more pizzazz than the usual flapjack.

While we wait through this seemingly endless non-growing season, we reached to the back of our freezer for a bag of tasty frozen berries. Just a quick toss of berries brings a simple puffed pancake to new heights. A sprinkling of powdered sugar lends a little extra sweetness and elegance.

Like our earlier recipe for baked eggs with a crispy hash brown eggs, you are likely to already have these ingredients in your refrigerator. So grab your trusty cast iron skillet, and let's do this...

Oven-Puffed Pancake with Berries

From Hay Day Country Market Cookbook

• 3 tbs unsalted butter

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries (or combination), fresh or frozen

• powdered sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place the butter in a 10-in oven-proof skillet (preferably cast iron), and place it in the oven.
2. Combine the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add this to the dry ingredients, and whisk until combined and smooth.
3. Wearing an oven mitt, remove the hot skillet from the oven (the butter should be bubbling), and pour in the batter all at once. Sprinkle the berries evenly over the top, and return the skillet to the oven. Bake until the pancake is nicely browned and puffed around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes.
4. Remove the pancake from the oven (don't forget that oven mitt!). Carefully transfer to a serving platter, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.