Dutch Baby with Honey Roasted Figs — All Purpose Flour Child

I first had a dutch baby when I was staying with our family friend, Joan, who lives on the water (literally, her house is built on pilings and the bay of the Puget Sound comes right up underneath the house!). Her house is magical, especially for a little kid and she is an amazing cook, too. She is the person who first introduced me to such things as sharp cheddar cheese with apple pie. I've talked about her before, here. I'd never heard of a dutch baby before so I had no idea what to expect when she said that was what was for breakfast. But I was not disappointed when she pulled a huge, golden brown puffy cloud out of the oven. They're crispy around the edges, creamy in the center, and a little eggy, not unlike a popover. I think she served them with red currant jam, but they lend themselves incredibly well to any sort of preserve.

I chose simple roasted figs since they are at the peak of their season right now and they take on a delicious jammy-like quality when cooked. Feel free to experiment and top with whatever you like, though!

Dutch Babies with Honey Roasted Figs

makes one 8 or 10 inch pancake

For the Batter
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 c whole milk
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 c flour
1 T sugar
pinch of salt
2 T butter, for pan

For the Figs
8 figs, halved (about 1 cup)
2 t brown sugar
4 T honey
pinch of salt
powdered sugar, to serve
squeeze of lemon, to serve

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay figs on a small baking tray lined in parchment. Sprinkle on the brown sugar and salt and drizzle over the honey. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the figs are juicy and sticky then set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the batter while the figs roast. In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, and sugar and blend to combine. Then, add the flour and salt and blend once more to fully incorporate the batter. Allow the batter to sit for about 10 minutes or so, allowing the flour to absorb with the rest of the ingredients.

Add the butter to an 8 or 10 inch cast iron skillet and pop in the oven to melt. Once melted, open the oven briefly to pour in the batter. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden. Top with roasted figs, a dusting of powdered sugar, and a squeeze of lemon.