Weekend Apple Pancake

Here are some pictures from the Brentwood Farmers Market this morning, as well as the recipe for a delicious weekend breakfast I made when I came home. It was the coolest, freshest morning that LA has seen in months... a beautiful morning to walk around outside with a hot cup of tea. I love farmers markets so much, but I think I'm about 15 years younger than the typical Sunday morning farmers market enthusiast. Oh well!







From TheKitchn.com

This recipe, along with most others involving baked apples, does best with a tart, crisp variety. If you use softer or sweeter apples, toss the slices with some lemon juice before putting them in the pan to bring up the acidity and balance out the sweetness. Note: this dish is less like a pancake and more like a custard.

Serves 3-4.

Ingredients:

2 large or 3 medium apples, preferably Granny Smith
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon, fresh ground if possible
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Heat the oven to 400F. Peel and slice the apples; you should have about 3 cups. Mix the fresh cinnamon, ginger and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

In the oven, or over a burner, melt the butter in an 8x8" pan or a deep cast iron skillet, tilting to coat the bottom and sides with melted butter. Add the brown sugar to the butter in the bottom of pan. Spread the apples on top of the sugar and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the apples. Put the pan back in the oven to start the apples cooking.

Beat the eggs until foamy with a whisk or eggbeater. Fold in the flour, salt, and sugar gradually while mixing. Add milk and vanilla and beat just until smooth. Let rest for a couple minutes.

Take the pan out of the oven and pour the batter over the apples. Sprinkle more cinnamon or cinnamon sugar on top if desired. Bake for about 20 more minutes or until center is set and sides are lightly browned. If the top browns before the center sets, tent with foil for the duration of the baking. The pancake will puff up dramatically but fall after you take it out of the oven.

Serve with powdered sugar or more cinnamon sugar.