Dirk Howard

I really enjoy using my cast-iron cookware.  I have had plenty of cast-iron dutch ovens, the camp style, over the years.  I really like cooking outdoors with them. A few years ago, I was given two 12 inch Lodge cast-iron frying pans for my birthday.  That was the day that the cast-iron moved inside.

One of the recipes that I like to make to show off how easy cast-iron cooking is, is the Dutch Baby Pancake.  It is a German pancake that is baked in the oven.  The traditional way to serve them is with a squeeze of fresh lemon and sprinkled with powdered sugar.  My wife likes hers plain with just butter.  I like mine either traditional or with a sliced apple sauce.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tablespoons sugar (I like the Rock Iris vanilla sugar)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 Tablespoons butter to melt in pan

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425° F with your cast-iron pan.
2. Combine the first four ingredients together and blend until smooth.  (I use a blender.)
3. Once the oven and pan are to temperature, remove pan from the oven.
4. Melt the butter and coat the pan surface.
5. Pour the batter into the pan and return to the oven.
6. Bake at 425° F for 15 minutes or until puffy and browned.
7. Top with additional butter and powdered sugar and let the sugar heat in the oven briefly.
8. Squeeze some fresh lemon on the top and serve.

Fresh Sliced Apple Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 apple, peeled, cored & sliced
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 or 3 Tablespoons sugar (I like the Rock Iris vanilla sugar)
• 1 or 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan melt the butter.
2. Add the apple slices and lemon juice.  Saute apples until they begin to give up their juice.
3. Add the sugar and cook until the apples are tender and the syrup has reduced to a nice consistency.
4. Serve over hot Dutch Baby Pancake.