My mom picked this recipe because she saw it on the Cook’s Country website, which is affiliated with Cook’s Illustrated (I just call it all Christopher Kimball’s stuff!)
A Dutch Baby is kind of like the Apple Pfannekuchen my mom has posted before, except it has lemon and powdered sugar instead of apples and cinnamon. It’s also a lot taller!
Here’s a little more about the background of Dutch Babies, in case you were wondering why this dish has such an odd name.
Basically it’s like a really big popover.
To make one, first heat the oven to 450°. Then brush two tablespoons of oil all over a 12-inch ovenproof skillet. Put the skillet in the oven until the oil is shimmering, which should take about 10 minutes.
While it’s heating, mix up the batter. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cornstarch, lemon zest, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs for about one minute, or until they’re frothy and light.
Whisk in milk, butter, and vanilla. (The recipe says that skim milk will give you the highest rise, but we used 2%, since that’s what we had.)
Add about a third of the milk mixture into the flour mixture and mix until it’s smooth. Then add in the rest of the milk mixture, and mix it until there are no lumps.
Take the skillet out of the oven (remember to use a potholder on the hot handle!) and quickly pour the batter into the pan. Place it back in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the edges are deep golden brown.
It will puff up and get really tall in the oven, but it will deflate some when you take it out.
Take the Dutch Baby out of the oven, place the skillet on a wire rack, and sprinkle lemon juice and powdered sugar on it. Slice it into wedges and eat it right away!
While this is baking, it will make your kitchen smell like funnel cakes. I really liked the lemon flavor, and my favorite part was the soft inside (my mom loves the crispy outside part the best!)
Dutch Baby
Printable Dutch Baby recipe
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons juice from one lemon (reserved for sprinkling on baked Dutch Baby)
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 1/4 cups skim milk
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Put the oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 450°. Brush the inside of an ovenproof 12 inch skillet with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Place pan in oven and heat until oil is shimmering (10 minutes).
While the pan heats, make the batter. In a bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, lemon zest, and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs until they’re light and frothy. Whisk in the milk, butter, and vanilla.
Add 1/3 of the milk to the flour mixture and mix until the lumps are gone. Add the rest of the milk and stir until the batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into the hot skillet and bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are puffed and golden brown. Remove the skillet from the oven and place on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and lemon juice. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.