Apple Pancake Puff

This is a Dutch baby with a twist: a souffle-like oven pancake baked in a skillet with a warm, spiced apple and raisin filling piled in the middle. The edges climb up the skillet walls, puffing into dramatic ruffles that deflate into tender pockets as soon as it hits the table.

The apples cook first in margarine with raisins, sugar, orange juice, and cinnamon, just until they soften. They come out while the skillet returns to the oven with a little more fat, screaming hot. The batter (eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla) hits the sizzling pan and immediately starts to puff.

Ten minutes of baking sets the edges. The apples go into the center, and another 12 to 15 minutes finishes the puffing and golden-browns the whole thing. A 425°F (220°C) oven is what drives the dramatic rise; lower heat gives a deflated, flat pancake.

Kitchen Tips

• Use a heavy ovenproof skillet, cast iron or stainless. Nonstick skillets don’t hold heat the same way and the pancake won’t puff properly.
• Make sure the skillet is smoking-hot when the batter goes in. The shock of cold batter on hot fat is what creates the puff.
• Beat the batter a full 2 minutes. Underbeating gives flat, egg-heavy pancakes that don’t puff evenly.
• Don’t open the oven during the first 10 minutes. The temperature drop deflates the rising pancake.
• Serve immediately. A puff pancake deflates within 2 to 3 minutes of coming out of the oven; beauty is short-lived.

Variations

• Swap apples for ripe pears or sliced peaches in season.
• Add a tablespoon of brandy or rum to the apple mixture for grown-up flavor.
• Dust the finished pancake with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup or warm cream on the side.