Hi and welcome to issue #44 of Susanality, a newsletter by Susan Spungen that celebrates seasonal cooking. If you enjoy today’s recipe, please feel free to forward this email to others who may like it too!
Happy Friday! First of all, I wanted to tell you that I really appreciate your being here. I know there’s a lot to read out there, so I thank you for having me in your inbox. I also know that some of you may find it tiresome that I ask you each and every week to consider a paid subscription. It’s important to me that you're here regardless of which subscription you have, so always just skip over the sales pitch if you’re not ready today (or ever) to switch to paid. As I’ve said before, paid subscriptions are what enable me to keep the newsletter going, but I appreciate and am so glad you're here either way!
Early on in the pandemic, my husband, Steve, and I decamped to our weekend home, and two years later… we are still here! We still have our little apartment in the city and visit now and then, but we spend the bulk of our time here. We’re really enjoying country life and everything that comes with it—lots of outdoor time, privacy, and quiet—but I admit, I am really starting to miss taking fun trips, enjoying restaurants (indoors), and seeing live performances. We’ve been pretty careful throughout the pandemic, so haven’t really done any of those things. Hopefully this will be the year that they start creeping back into our lives.
One thing that has really marked these last two years are the various routines we’ve fallen into. Sometimes it feels like Groundhog Day, but there is something about this new rhythm that I find very comforting and stabilizing. I still bake sourdough regularly like so many others have during this time. While some abandoned their starters and new hobby, I’ve held onto it. One of these days I’ll share my process with you, if you're interested! There is not a morning that I don’t start with the Spelling Bee, and now I’ve added Wordle to the mix, just in case I wasn’t already wasting enough time on word games. I tell myself it’s good for my brain, and I’m pretty sure it is. Either way, it’s fun!
We spent a lot of time with our grandson in those first few months, while his mother prepared our second grandson. He was only a toddler back in March 2020—he’s a man of five now, and still comes for sleepovers with us whenever possible. I can't remember what my initial inspiration was, but I started making a Dutch baby pancake for him anytime he stayed over. I was pretty sure everyone knew what a Dutch baby was, but when I posted one to my Instagram in those early days, I realized how wrong I was about that. So many people started making them and tagging me, as if I had invented it—which I did not!
Just in case you're not already acquainted, let me introduce you. It may be the easiest breakfast food to make, but it’s also one of the most impressive. A Dutch baby is a cousin to a popover, and watching it rise to astounding heights as it bakes is entertaining, which comes in handy when there are small children around. Being a perfect vehicle for maple syrup helps with its popularity around here too.
But Dutch babies aren’t just for breakfast! You can fill one with almost anything, sweet or savory, and it can become brunch, lunch, dinner, or dessert. Here’s a dessert (or brunch) Dutch baby that I developed (ahem) a few years back for Bon Appétit that has fruit baked right in. Including fruit will of course hamper the rise just a little bit—but look at it! Still beautiful. You can also add savory ingredients like a few slices of good ham, sautéed mushrooms, and/or some cheese after it’s done—you can return it to the oven just to warm everything. This would make a good light supper when you think you don’t have anything in the house. Around here, we usually take our Dutch baby plain, with some crisp bacon on the side.
As for substitutions—because I know you’ll ask!—almond milk works fine, if you’re looking to avoid cow’s milk. Ghee could stand in for butter if it’s lactose you’re avoiding. You do need flour (almond flour won’t work), but Cup4Cup gluten-free flour might. Let me know if you try it! The other day I had no whole milk, so I used half skim milk and half buttermilk and I daresay it rose even higher than usual!
So, whether you’ve never made a Dutch baby before or forgot all about it, what are you waiting for?
Dutch Baby Pancake
Serves 4
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
Pinch of salt
Fresh nutmeg (optional)
1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar (as desired)
Dash of vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1 to 2 tablespoons butter (as desired)
Confectioner’s sugar, optional
Heat oven to 425°F with a rack positioned in the center. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, eggs, salt, nutmeg, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Slowly whisk in the milk. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps.
Heat a 10-inch skillet (preferably cast-iron) on the stovetop over medium-high heat until very warm (but not screaming hot!), 3 to 4 minutes. Add the butter. As soon as it melts, add the batter and transfer to the oven on the center rack.
Bake 20-25 minutes, turning the pan around once for even baking, until deep golden brown on the edges and in spots.
Carefully pull the Dutch baby out of the pan and onto a serving plate. It should come right out and will be quite light, so a spatula or tongs will work well. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, if using. Cut into wedges and serve immediately.
Notes:
Serving ideas:
For a savory Dutch baby, add bits of vegetables, meats, and cheeses after the puff. Get creative!
Add any kind of fruit you want. Try sautéed bananas or apples, fresh berries, or warm fruit compote.
Or simply serve with maple syrup!
Some people like a squeeze of lemon over the top.
For a crunchier surface and edges, sprinkle more, or some of, the granulated sugar on top before baking.
You can use buttermilk in place of some or all of the milk.
If you don’t have an iron skillet, any skillet with an oven-proof handle is fine.
If you don’t have a skillet, use a pie plate! If using a glass pie plate, preheat for 5 minutes in the oven instead of on the stove.
What I’m Reading
From time to time, I’ll share links with you for interesting articles I’ve recently read and enjoyed. Lately there has been a lot of talk about recipes—who owns them, why they can't be copyrighted, what makes them original, etc… Obviously this is a subject that’s very close to my heart!
This one, written by Priya Krishna in the New York Times, was particularly interesting. Don’t miss the comments section!
Here’s another one from Eater about celebrity cookbooks, how recipes originate… and circulate.
And here’s some news about one of my favorite cheeses! I’m not sure yet if it’s good news or bad?
What Else to Cook This Weekend
Lastly, here are a few recipes from the Susanality archives that would be tasty—and warming!—to cook this weekend or in the following weeks. Paywall warning: Some of these will only be viewable if you have a paid subscription.
Bucatini all’Amatriciana. Take a trip to Italy, if just for a meal. If you’re new to my newsletter, check out this post for some of my favorite memories from working on the set of Eat, Pray, Love.
Cinnamon Butter Muffins. These decadent muffins taste something like a sugared donut, but are so much easier to make. You most likely have everything you need in the house to make them.
Winter Squash Soup. Is there anything that hits the spot better in winter than a delicious soup?
Butternut Squash Gnocchi: You might not think that homemade gnocchi is something you can just whip up on a whim, but I am here to tell you that it is! It really is! If you are still hesitant, I made a step-by-step video tutorial that will help.
Savory, Cheesy French Toast: If you are in the mood for a decadent brunch, you could cook this along with your Dutch baby. Add some fruit and bacon to the spread and you will have quite the feast!
If you haven’t yet done so, consider investing in a paid subscription to this newsletter to get the full experience. In addition to the bi-weekly newsletters a free subscription provides, you will receive many extra recipes, how-to video tutorials, technique and styling tips, and more. Thank you!
If I’ve ever questioned why I subscribe to your newsletter (believe me I haven’t!) this was so fun to read. I made my first dutch baby with my now 10 year old grandson and we make them often, now for two grandsons when we have sleepovers! We are always in awe every time we bake one!
And add on spelling bee…..love and now an obsession with Wordle too.
I just pulled out your cinnamon butter muffins to make for an upcoming ski trip with family.
This edition gave me so much joy! Thank you Susan! ❤️
I just returned here to let you know that I am now a big Dutch baby fan because of this post here that I read last year. Thanks for this, Susan!