I am a pancake fan.
I grew up on my mum’s crepes, which we used to eat with Nutella and whipped cream. And my grandma’s pancakes which my cousins and I would fight over and slather with golden syrup or lemon and sugar.
When I was old enough to start cooking, I learned how to make buttermilk pancakes. And drop scones. I bough real maple syrup and found a fantastic pancake recipe for quick, easy, thick pancakes to make for my brother as an after school snack (I will post all these recipes. Eventually).
Going to diners in the States, blueberry pancakes were always a favourite. And I love ricotta hotcakes, which I always order with bacon (because I can never decide when it comes to breakfast – sweet or savoury? So that way I get both).
So when I saw this recipe I marched straight into the kitchen the next morning and made this huge baked pancake for breakfast.
Made entirely in a cast iron frying pan (skillet), the pancake was thick, crunchy on the top, almost like baked custard through the middle (kinda like clafoutis?) with sweet, caramelised, soft fruit at the bottom.
Everyone gobbled it up and loved it so much that I have to try it again with some other fruits. Maybe strawberries? Yum.
BAKED PANCAKE WITH CARAMELIZED APPLES AND PEARS
Adapted from Unsophisticook.
For the pancake
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
For the caramelized apples and pears
1 apple
1 pear
2 -3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp brown sugar
squeeze of lemon juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 180 C.
To make the pancake batter, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Set aside.
Peel, core and slice your apple and pear.
Over a medium heat, melt the butter in a cast iron frying pan. Make sure it also coats the sides of the pan.
Add the apple, pear, brown sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon to the melted butter.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the fruit is soft and caramelized.
Turn off the heat and pour the pancake batter into the frying pan straight over the fruit.
Transfer to the oven and make for 25 minutes, until lightly golden. It will go crazy and puff up in areas but don’t worry, it will settle when you take it out.
Sprinkle with icing sugar and cut into wedges. Serves 4.
