Fancy Pancakes....or Dutch Babies or Bismarks

These little poofy pancakes are not the kind that you pile up sky high on a plate and soak in maple syrup. They are delicate and tasty and beautiful. You need to show them off as soon as they come out of the oven to get the oohs and aahs for their poofiness and then they kind of fall and sink...at which time they still look pretty because you sprinkle powdered sugar and berries and some mint and VOILA!



This recipe is simple but finicky, so you really need to follow it carefully or you won't get the POOF!

This is a regular request by my master taster....Elliot, and is from James McNair's Breakfast cookbook.

Serves one

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup low fat milk
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract ( if you like almond)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• Toppings ( see below for suggestions)
  

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees
2. Place the butter in a 4-inch baking dish and heat until the butter is melted and really hot!
   
3. While the butter melts, beat the egg in a bowl with a wire whisk until bright yellow
4. Gradually beat in the milk then the flour, until smooth
5. Stir in the almond extract and lemon zest
6. Pour this batter into the pan of hot butter and return the pan to the oven
7. Cook until the pancake is poooofed and golden (12 minutes or so)
8. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and a squeeze of a lemon wedge and fresh berries and a few mint leaves.
   

This makes one pancake so if you have a lot of people you can multiply the recipe and increase the pan size. Either cut it into wedges at the table or cover with topping and roll up like a jelly-roll, then cut into slices.

Toppings can be anything from fresh berries to specialty butters to toasted nuts...use your imagination.

Note: I made them in a food processor a couple of times and the results were not as good.