Sheryl's Blog

As part of my recent purge of nonstick cookware, I acquired my very first cast iron skillet – a vintage large-logo Griswold. I removed all the old crud with oven cleaner and then reseasoned it. Rust was minimal, so I was able to scrub it off with steel wool. (For more on cleaning and seasoning cast iron, see my previous post.)

Griswold #7 cast iron skillet, large logo

Griswold #7 cast iron skillet, large logo

I’ve been interested in recipes that use the skillet’s unique properties: nonstick, stove to oven, even heating, and good heat retention. So I decided to make a German Pancake – also known as a Dutch Baby – stuffed with apples. I looked at several recipes and then came up with my own spin on it. I’d never had a German Pancake before so I didn’t know what to expect. I was amazed when I took my first bite. It was exquisitely delicious. Here’s the recipe.

German pancake with apples in cast iron skillet

German Pancakes with Apples

• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup whole milk
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup unbleached white flour (preferably with germ)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 apples (I used Fuji)
• 3 tbsp raw sugar

Set the oven to 450°F. While it’s heating up, prepare the apples and batter.

Beat the eggs until they are light and frothy – maybe 5 minutes with an electric mixer. Add milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt and beat for another few minutes. Add the flour and beat until just smooth (no lumps) – don’t overmix. Set aside while you work on the apples.

Peel the apples, slice them into ¼” pieces about 1-2″ square. Try to make the pieces relatively uniform in size so they cook evenly. Melt the butter in the skillet on medium-high heat. When the butter starts to foam, add in the apples and sprinkle the sugar evenly over them. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then pull the apples about an inch in from the edge of the skillet and pour in the batter, starting at the edge and then filling in the middle. Put the skillet in the oven, and immediately reduce the temperature to 425°F. Bake for 20 minutes, until brown and puffed. Invert on a platter to serve.

German pancake with apples on plates

If you don’t wash the skillet immediately, the sugar will harden like rock candy. But no worries. Just boil some water in it, and the sugar will come right out.

I couldn’t believe how good this was. I don’t know what I expected, but this exceeded it! If you try the recipe, let me know how it turns out for you.