Cherry Almond Dutch Baby
This Dutch baby is like a pancake that can be made in a cast iron skillet. With in-season cherries and beautifully toasted almonds, it’s an easy meal that’s perfect for breakfast and brunch.
I took a very long hiatus from writing, but I’ve missed it. It comes down to this – it feels selfish and almost ridiculous to write about something as unimportant as food. I’ve also been putting more energy into political/organizing endeavors. If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I took over as the group lead for the Richmond chapter of Moms Demand Action earlier this year. Things are different than they were last time I wrote, but they’re also still the same. I’m still cooking, and I’m still baking treats for campaigns because Virginia has elections every single year.
I’m trying to figure out how the different parts of myself fit into this space. I won’t keep them separate for anyone’s comfort.
Let’s discuss the recipe, shall we? Mounds of fresh cherries are one of my favorite things to spot this time of year, and this Dutch baby pancake is almost always the first thing I make with them. As far as weekend breakfasts go, this one couldn’t be easier. Everything is made in one skillet, and there’s minimal mixing involved with the other ingredients. To really amp up the flavor, toast your almonds until they’re deep golden brown. The Dutch baby will gloriously puff in the oven, then deflate and ruffle at the edges. A generous (especially if the kids do it) dusting of powdered sugar completes this simple breakfast in the time it would take us to drive to our favorite coffee shop.
- COOK TIME:
- YIELD: 2 large or 4 petite wedges
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup milk
½ teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons butter
2 cups pitted sweet cherries
½ cup sliced almonds, well toasted
Powdered sugar
Half of a lemon
You can toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, tossing frequently, or on a sheet pan in the oven at 350ºF until they’re deep golden brown.
- 1
Heat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar, flour, milk, extract and salt until the batter is blended but lumpy.
- 2
Melt the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof frying pan. I love my cast iron for this. Add cherries and cook until warmed, about 2 minutes. Pour in batter and transfer to heated oven.
- 3
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and ruffled along the edge. Remove pancake from oven and quickly scatter with toasted almonds, dust with powdered sugar and squeeze lemon juice over. Serve immediately.
