Up until now, I’d (Amelia) never had the same apple pancake twice. Mom has been trying different apple pancakes for as long as I can remember, never really satisfied with the product. Something was missing, she knew. I just thought I didn’t like German Apple Pancakes.
That is, until last weekend, when finally “the one” emerged from the oven. We ate it upstairs on the floor in Lucia’s room, wrapped in blankets and pajamas (well, mom was showered and dressed) and watching church from Zoom. It was a nice moment altogether.
If I may synesthesia-ize my adjectives, then I would call the flavor of this pancake golden. The crisp top tastes bronzen with flavor and butter (bronzen is not a word, but that’s how it tastes); the sweet/tart apples are meltingly tender; the inside soft and plush. Mom now has the perfect recipe for German Apple Pancake, and I now know that I actually do like apple pancakes. Quite a lot, actually. So, hurry, before apple season is over, and get yourself a morning filled with caramel smells and warm happy bellies.
Apple Oven Pancake
3/4 stick of butter
2 small or 1 1/2 large apples, cored and sliced (Granny Smith, Macintosh, and Jonathans are good)
Three eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon (zest and juice)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Heat oven to 425°
In a smallish bowl or 1 quart Pyrex measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, flour, salt, zest, and cinnamon.
Melt the butter in an ovenproof skillet 10-inch diameter (also successfully made in a 12-inch). After butter has melted, add about 2 tablespoons to the other ingredients, leaving the rest in the pan.
Add apple slices to the 4 tablespoons butter that remains in the skillet and cook for about three minutes. Make sure they are evenly distributed across the skillet, then pour the batter over the top. Bake for 20 minutes. When it is finished, it will be golden and puffy.
You can squirt lemon juice over the hot pancake or pour syrup over the top or both. It’s particularly good when fresh from the oven.
We have five people in our family, most of us with good appetites, so I have altered the ingredients to make it feed more people. We bake it in our oven-proof soup pot:
One stick (8 tablespoons) butter
Three small or two large apples, cored and sliced
Four eggs plus one egg white, room temperature
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
One lemon
1/4 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
Follow preparation instructions above.
