Cooking at this time of year is all about light dishes, bright salads, breakfast for dinner — or maybe just a small brunch with family and friends. I used to host a spring brunch when I lived in West Virginia, and it was something that everyone looked forward to after a long winter, so today’s column is all about celebrating spring.
(READ MORE: Beyond brunch: A cultural guide to pancakes)
One of the most fun dishes to make is a puffed pancake, also known as a Dutch Baby. It’s one of those magical recipes that’s especially fun to make with kids. At a recent weekend gathering in Blue Ridge, Georgia, with my daughters, their spouses and my grandchildren, making Dutch Babies was the hit of the morning.
The final product is much greater than the sum of its parts: It’s simply a combination of flour, milk and eggs, mixed together with a touch of vanilla and sugar if you like things sweet — which my grandkids certainly did — or a sprinkling of fresh chives and some grated cheese to have breakfast or brunch on the savory side.
But it’s all about the wow factor, and if your oven has a window, you can settle the kids in front of the stove to watch it rise. Yes, it falls as it cools, but those glorious oven-fresh heights are well worth the effort. It’s part pancake, part crepe and part popover. It combines the best of all three.