Breakfast for Dinner

In the lead up to Christmas more often than not meals are a quick grab, not something to savor and enjoy. In our house we are just as guilty. Often it is easier to call up the take-out Chinese (or in Calgary go to Swiss Chalet) than spend a bit of time making a meal.

A fun way to bring everyone together is to have breakfast for dinner. When I was growing up it was always my dad’s job to cook Sunday dinner and his trick was often to make breakfast for dinner. It is so fun for kids to turn the day on its head and have something unusual but familiar on the dinner table. Dad used to do waffles, but I find when you are busy they are too tedious. Instead I like to cook a Dutch pancake.

Dutch pancake, puff pancake, or Dutch Baby, it is known by many names. It basically is a puffy crepe cooked in a hot pan in the oven. All you have to do is mix the batter (which can even be done ahead of time) and pour the mixture into your preheated pan. If you desire you can sauté some peeled apples in butter and sugar and serve them on-top of the pancake, covering it with a sprinkle of icing sugar. I prefer my Dutch pancake savory, so I don’t like any sugar on top. Instead I serve it alongside breakfast sausage and a store-bought fruit salad. Serve the breakfast with coffee and hot chocolate and relax, enjoy and pretend you have a whole extra day (just for a while).

Enjoy!

Tender Dutch Baby

Makes 4 servings

3 large eggs
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
6 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine

In a blender or with a whisk beat the eggs with the flour, sugar and milk until smoothly mixed. You can at this point put the mixture into the fridge for a few hours or even overnight. Make sure you cover it and give it a whisk before you use it.

Take a large oven-safe 10- to 12-inch frying pan and place it in a 425 degree oven on the center rack. Add the butter to the pan and let it melt in the oven until it is starting to bubble. Tilt the pan to coat it with the butter and quickly pour in the batter.

Bake until pancake puffs at edges (it may also puff irregularly in the center) and is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Working quickly, cut into 4 wedges and transfer to dinner plates, using a wide spatula; the wedges may deflate somewhat after cutting. If you prefer you can sprinkle wedges liberally with icing sugar.