Blueberry Dutch Baby Pancake

I love baking in my skillet! I've recently discovered Dutch baby pancakes and have been itching to make one. I chose to use blueberries in mine, but you can improvise other berries or just omit the berries altogether. This dish is neat because as it bakes, the edges rise up and fall like a pizza crust! Dutch babies are nice for brunch or breakfast with friends and an easy option for early mornings.

You make these in a cast iron skillet, but a round baking dish will suffice.

You will need:
2 tbsp. butter
1 cup fresh blueberries (Frozen can be substituted)
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
OPTIONAL : Powdered sugar for dusting

To begin:
1. Pre-heat your oven to 400F.
2. Put the butter in the skillet and put the skillet in the oven while it's heating (2-3 minutes  or until butter is melted.) Remove the skillet and make sure the butter covers the bottom of the pan completely.
3. Evenly distribute the berries in the bottom of the skillet an set it aside for the moment.
4. In a mixing bowl combine the eggs, milk, flour, vanilla, and sugar. Sprinkle a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon in the mixture if so desired.
5. Pour the mixture over the blueberries in the skillet. If the berries get shuffled around in the pan, just use a spoon to redistribute them.
6. Bake the pancake for 20-25 minutes.
7. Allow it to cool a bit before dusting it with powdered sugar.

I really love Dutch babies and I think you will too! They have a warm flavour and fill your house with a lovely aroma. The variations of Dutch baby pancakes are endless, so it's fun to be creative with them! I served mine with fresh lemon curd and panna cotta (recipe soon to be posted!) I hope you enjoy this recipe and fall in love with Dutch baby pancakes. 

Happy Baking!

Fresh Lemon Curd

Love lemons as much I do? Wanna put them on everything you make? Whip up a batch of lemon curd and pour it on all your citrus-lacking food! It's fairly easy to make, as long as you remember patience is  the key.

You will need:
1 cup granulated sugar
Zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tbsp. butter (softened)
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1  1/2 tsp. vanilla

To start:
1. Put the lemon zest and sugar in a food processor together and finely mince them together. You may need to stop the processor and shuffle the mixture around to avoid clumpy lemon-sugar.
2. Next, thoroughly  cream together the butter, vanilla, egg & yolks, and lemon-sugar.
3. Now, stir the lemon juice into the creamy mixture. It won't want to combine and will look curdled, but this is normal.
4. Pour the mixture into a medium sauce pan and turn your stove to low heat. Constantly stir the pot until the mixture is smooth and consistent.
5. Next, turn up the heat to medium. Continue to stir as it thickens. Once it has thickened to a pudding-like consistency. Pour the curd into a jar or container and allow to cool completely before putting a lid on it or serving it.

After making fresh lemon curd for the first time, I've realized it's very important to make this on a regular basis. I used it with panna cotta and a blueberry Dutch baby pancake (recipes to be posted soon!), but you could use it for practically anything! It would be good in crepes or to serve with scones. Many people like to use lemon curd to top blueberry pies! If you love lemons, you don't really need a reason to make this! Just whip up a batch to keep in your fridge for whenever you get a citrus craving! I hope you found this recipe to be helpful and delicious!

Happy Cooking!

Whole Wheat Bread

There's just something so satisfying about making your own bread! This is great bread to have with jam and tea or coffee. It's perfect for serving with breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner! Wrap it in pretty paper, tie it off with a bow and you've got a nice gift for a friend!

You will need:
2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 cups whole wheat flour (plus some for sprinkling)
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 Tbsp. non-fat dried milk
2 cups + 2 Tbsp. warm water
OPTIONAL
1 egg
salt

To start:
1. In the bowl of your standing mixer dissolve the brown sugar into the oil and water. Sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the liquid. Once the yeast is also dissolved, add the dried milk.
2. Using your standing mixer fitted with the bread hooks, mix the flour into the liquid. one cup at a time.
3. Once thoroughly mixed, turn the dough out onto a floured surface. The dough may be sticky, so you'll want to flour your hands as well.
4. Put the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a room-temperature, draft free place. (an unheated oven works well for this.) Let the dough rise for two hours (or until doubled in size.)
5. After the two hours, pre-heat your oven to 375 F. Grease two 8x4" loaf pans or line them with parchment.
6. Punch the dough down to size. Make sure you flour your hands because the dough is apt to be sticky. Separate the dough into two even portions and place them both in the pans. If the dough is not sreading to edges of the pan, use your hands to spread it out. OPTIONAL- Beat an egg and wash the dough with it. Salt the top of your dough and slash it.
7. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Yeilds 2 loaves.

Happy cooking!

Peach-Strawberry Jam

This was my first time making jam and it turned out so well! This recipe doesn't call for any gelatin base products: just fruit and sugar!

You will need:
A small saucepan
2 large peaches
5-6 ripe strawberries
2/3 cup brown sugar
Juice from one lemon

To start:
1. Peel, pit, and cut the peaches into small chunks.
2. Cut the tops of the strawberries off. Cut the strawberries into smaller bits as well.
NOTE: The smaller you cut the fruit, the better. This will help you avoid overly chunky jam.
3. Put the cut up fruit and lemon juice in the sauce pan and stir so the juice is evenly distributed.
4. Turn the stove up to high heat and place the pan on the burner.
5. Add 1/3 cup of brown sugar to the pan and stir as it melts. Use your spoon to slightly mash the fruit. I used a potato masher to make the fruit a bit softer.
6. Add the remaining brown sugar and let it melt in the pan. Once it's melted and no longer grainy, let the mixture sit on the heat and simmer. Stir the pan occasionally to keep it from burning.
7. Once the jam has taken on a thick consistency, pour it into a jar and let it cool completely before adding the lid.  Refrigerate for 2-4 hours before serving.

This jam is simple to make and so delicious! It's great for gifts or to keep for yourself.  You can try it on toast, pancakes, crepes, or as cake filling. Not a strawberry or peach fan? This works with blueberries, plums, raspberries, or blackberries as well!  I hope you have fun with this recipe and enjoy the jam!

Happy cooking!