My family loves my regular German pancake recipe, but when I received a large box of SweeTango apples late last week, I started throwing around the idea of an apple German pancake recipe. I gave it a whirl this afternoon with spectacular results, but first let me tell you just a bit about SweeTango apples.
SweeTango is a new apple that's a cross between Honeycrisp and Zestari varieties. It was available in 2010 in limited volumes but will be available nationally this fall. As you can imagine based on their "parents", they're sweet, juicy, crisp, and utterly delicious. Look for these beautiful deep red over a yellow-breaking background apples at your local Walmart store now!
Now back to the apple German pancake recipe I was mulling over -- having not cooked with the SweeTango variety previously, I was a little worried about whether they would simply turn to mush, but they held their shape nicely and produced lovely, tender and flavorful apple slices within the pancake.
I mentioned on Facebook as I was trying out the recipe that the smell was divine and that if the pancake tasted half as good as it smelled, it would be a hit. And a hit it was -- even garnering a spontaneous hug from my nine-year-old son after he tasted it!
If you don't have a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, I highly recommend making the investment. I used my trusty #8 Wagner, but any non-stick pan that can go from stove top to oven will work for this recipe.
Ingredients:
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 SweeTango or Granny Smith apples -- peeled, cored, and sliced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- confectioner's sugar
Instructions:
- Preheat the over to 375 degrees.
- Add eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla and salt to a blender and puree. You can refrigerate the batter overnight if desired.
- Melt butter in a cast iron or oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, making sure to coat sides of skillet.
- Add apples to skillet, along with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Cook for about 10 minutes until tender.
- Pour batter over cooked apples and bake in the oven until cooked through and golden brown, about 25 minutes.
- Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if desired. Slice into wedges to serve.
Don't assume because it's a pancake this recipe is only for breakfast -- it's perfect for an afternoon snack or dessert too.
What's your favorite fall apple recipe? I'm looking for a good apple muffin to try!
