Sunday Morning Apple Pie Pancake 'Apfelpfannkuchen'

I can't wait for Sunday mornings, when Hubs and I can linger over a cup of hot tea and catch up on the past week's occurrences, and set our path for the forthcoming week.

When I was in my late teens, after I graduated from high school, I was part of a circle of foodie friends. We took great delight in experimenting with recipes we would prepare for each other, usually for Sunday Brunch. There seemed to be less risk (and definitely less cost) involved in preparing a breakfast/lunch item than having the group over for a full fledged dinner party. Not much could go wrong, it seemed, in preparing soup, an egg dish, or even a pancake...

There was an unspoken expectation that I would come up with something German, with my heritage and all, and so one Sunday I recall preparing my rendition of a traditional German pancake. The batter is a bit different than a French Crepe, in that it is heavier in texture. But it made the cut and still remains one of the more popular breakfast items in our house today. I often get requests to share the recipe, so I'll open up my recipe book and post it here for you to try. Not only is it dead-easy, its really good!





For the pancake batter, you will require the usual suspects: eggs, milk and flour, but no baking powder - as mentioned, these pancakes have a denser texture.


To get that yummy apple pie flavour, I add apples, currants, cinnamon and nutmeg, which I sautee with some butter and brown sugar.







                                                                                                                                                                                                     The fruit should be cooked until it is nicely caramelized, about 10 minutes. This makes the apples really sweet and the currants soft, and gives the spices a chance to unfold.

The pan should be really hot, so when the apples are done, crank up the heat for a few moments, then  add the batter, which has been whipped up in the blender - kind of like a Yorkshire pudding batter...

Now you bake it in a 400 F oven for about 20 minutes until it is puffed up like a giant Yorkshire.

Serve the finished pancake immediately, as it will deflate pretty quickly - and if it does, don't worry, that will not take away from the flavour or texture!

I like to top the Apple Pie Pancake with confectioner's sugar, raspberry jam and a fresh lemon squeeze - but you can certainly have it the more North American way, with maple syrup - no matter which way you choose to embellish - it's equally delicious!

Apple Pie Pancakes 'Apfelpfannkuchen'


1 1/2 cups un-bleached flour
1 1/2 cups milk
6 eggs
Pinch sea salt
1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tbsps currants
4 Tbsps unsalted butter
2 Tbsps brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg

Garnish:
Confectioner's sugar
1 lemon, cut in wedges
Raspberry jam
Maple syrup

Method:
Heat butter in oven proof frying pan over medium heat. Add apples, currants, cinnamon and nutmeg and sautee until apples are caramelized, about 10 minutes.
In the meantime, place eggs, milk and flour in blender and blend until frothy. Increase temperature of pan to high for a few moments. Pour batter into hot frying pan and place on middle rack into preheated 400F oven. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until pancake is puffed.
Serve immediately, sliced into wedges. Top with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a dollop of raspberry jam and dust with confectioner's sugar. Alternatively, top with butter and maple syrup. Serves 4.

HAPPY SUNDAY!