DUTCH BABY

For my birthday, (which is in Feb. by the way) my daughter bought me a new cast iron skillet. For Mother's Day, she bought me 'The Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook - Recipes for the Best Pan In Your Kitchen by Sharon Kramis & Julie Kramis Hearne'. I always love cooking in my cast iron skillets and dutch ovens. It gives me the feeling of tradition and days gone by. I don't use Teflon pots and pans, because over time, they start to flake off and it worries me that some of that Teflon will end up in the food I am cooking and possibly be harmful to my family. So, Teflon is a no-no in my house. I stick with traditional old time cookware. Although I am not selling my own cookbook that my daughter got me, you can purchase one here if you like... They start from $11.53 and can go as high as $16.95 depending on who you buy it from... http://www.discountbeautyproductgiftwagon.com/shop/amazon_products_feed.cgi?Operation=ItemLookup&ItemId=1570614253 and now, on to the recipe.

This is a recipe meant for the cast iron skillet. Just a few ingredients produce an amazing puffed pancake that looks as though it might rise right out of the pan. We like to serve this puffed pancake on lazy Saturday mornings and, even more, we love getting it served to us on Mother's Day.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

2 tbs butter

4 extra-large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

TOPPING

3 tbs butter

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 425. To make the Dutch baby, melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over low heat. Mix the eggs, flour, and milk in a blender on medium speed until just blended, 5 to 10 seconds. Pour the batter into the skillet with the melted butter.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the top puffs up and is lightly golden, about 25 minutes.

To clarify the butter for the topping, melt it over low heat in a small saucepan. Skim off and discard the foam. Remove from the heat and let stand until the solids settle, about 5 minutes. Pour through a strainer into a glass measuring cup.

When the Dutch baby is done, drizzle the clarified butter over the top, then sprinkle with the lemon juice and dust with the powdered sugar. Cut into six wedges and serve immediately.

FLAESKEAEGGEKAGE (BACON AND EGG CAKE)

http://www.discountbeautyproductgiftwagon.com/

Scandinavia. Ahhh. This is where my roots are. My grandmother Singne Olivia Nordberg Vivians family is from Sweden. So anything Scandinavian, is near and dear to my heart.

Egg cake, a traditional Danish favorite, is cooked slowly on top of the stove until it has set to a custard like consistency. It is served with a topping of crisp bacon and chopped chives.



1/2 pound bacon, preferably Danish

6 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons chives, finely cut



Cut the long strips of bacon in half crosswise and fry them over moderate heat in a heavy 10 to 12-inch skillet. Do not let them get to crisp. Drain the strips on paper towels and set them on an ovenproof platter or baking dish and keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Remove all but a tablespoon of the clear bacon fat from the skillet.

In a mixing bowl, beat the flour and salt into the eggs only long enough to combine them, and then slowly beat in the milk. Warm the fat in the skillet over moderate heat and pour in the egg mixture. Turn the heat down to low and without stirring let the eggs set into a firm custard. Since this will take about 20 minutes, an asbestos pad placed under the skillet will help to prevent the bottom of the egg cake from burning. Arrange the bacon slices and chives over the top of the finished cake. Serve directly from the pan, as a first course, brunch or late-supper dish.

PLATE-SIZE YEAST PANCAKES (From the Loban Family)

Here is another Tombstone Epitaph recipes from days gone by. A hearty pancake indeed. Breakfast is important. Did you eat breakfast today?

6 eggs, lightly beaten

2 pounds flour (8 cups)

1/2 gill yeast (1/4 cup)

1 teaspoon salt

Milk to make thick batter (about 6 cups)

Stir flour, yeast, salt and milk into the eggs. Drop the batter by large spoonfuls onto a hot griddle. When bubbles appear, turn the cakes. Cook until golden brown. Butter them and send them hot to the table after the family is seated. Serve with a topping such as greengage plum preserves.

These pancakes can be served for breakfast or made later in the day for serving at an afternoon tea.

When I used to make pancakes for my children, I would take a bananna and some honey or maple syrup and mix it well in a blender, then add this mixture to the pancake mix. They loved it. :)