Lazy Breakfast

Growing up, my family always had a tradition of Saturday morning waffles.  Covered in cheese before they cooked in the iron, the waffles were melty and crisp and fluffy and darn near perfect when covered in syrup. My personal habit was to make a "waffle quilt" and designate each square for a different topping: one for syrup, one for raspberry jam, one for apricot preserves, and one for berries.  We all grew up loving this Saturday routine of my dad cooking and signing and shouting, "get up slug boy" and, "get up slug girls" and,   "[child's name] I got your waffle!" from the kitchen.  The smell of waffles still feels like Saturday family breakfast to me and means fun, comfort, laughs and love.  

I appreciate the love my parents put into creating family traditions and it's a task that's high on my priority list to re-create for our family. With a twist of our own.  We make Sunday breakfast around here since it's the only lazy morning we are guaranteed to have.  Our menu varies, but this recipe for German Pancake, or puff pancake, shows up the most frequently.  It's eggy and bready and divine with berries or syrup or tinned pie filing (you know I like my patchwork toppings!). Sometimes we bake up a big one to share, other times we split it into two 9-in pie plate, any way we cook it, it usually ends up all gone.

German Pancake

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter

1 C flour

1 C milk

6 eggs

pinch of kosher salt

toppings: maple syrup, berries and powdered sugar, apple, blueberry, peach, or cherry pie filing, anything...

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place butter in glass baking dish (13x9, 8x10, 2 9-in pie plates, whatever) and place in oven while it preheats. Pull it out once the butter is melted and swirl the pan to coat the butter everywhere.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, milk, eggs, and salt until frothy. Alternatively, you can pulse all the ingredients in a blender.  Pour the batter into the buttered backing dish and bake anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of your pan.  I start checking the pancake at 10 minutes by switching on the oven light-don't open the door! When it;s puffed and golden brown on the edges, it's done.

Top it and scarf it.

Enjoy!