This recipe came from our friends Joanne and Jerry up at the Eagles Nest Inn on Whidbey Island. An incredible bed and breakfast run by two of the nicest people you will ever meet.
The Puffed Pancakes are often referred to as “Dutch Babies”, which are actually a northwest creation and not really dutch at all.
Puffed Pear Pancakes
We love the versatility of this recipe. I have made it using Apples, Bartlett Pears, Asian Pears, Peaches, Bananas, and with fresh berries on top minus the caramel sauce. If you leave off the caramel sauce it is sugar free and makes a good compromise for diabetics and low-sugar diets. It can easily be made gluten-free by substituting the flour for a GF baking mix, but they don’t tend to puff as much.
Ingredients
- 4 Eggs
- 1 Cup Milk
- 3/4 Cup Flour
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla and/or Almond Extract
- 1 Ripe Pear (Bartlett, Anjou)
- Nutmeg
Caramel Sauce
- 4 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Water
- 1/4 Cup Cream
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
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Place first 4 ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
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Prepare 4 (8-inch) oval baking dishes by coating with olive oil and placing 1 teaspoon butter in the bottom. Place prepared dishes on a cookie sheet.
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Place dishes on cookie sheet in oven 4 to 5 minutes until butter melts and starts to brown.
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Pour 1/4 of the batter (roughly 1/2 cup) into each dish and top with 3 to 4 slices of fresh pear, thinly sliced.
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Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
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Remove from baking dishes to plate. Drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with fresh ground nutmeg and powdered sugar if desired.
Caramel Sauce
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In a small saucepan, melt over medium heat, butter sugar and water.
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Bring to a gentle boil, and boil for about 4 – 8 minutes, time to reach a syrup stage.
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Test with a metal spoon. It should sheet slightly on the spoon and clean to the spoon on the last drops.
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Remove from heat, and whisk cream in slowly so it doesn’t curdle.
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Sauce is ready to serve.
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