Martha Stewart’s German Apple Pancakes
[by Guest blogger Lori]
These are, hands-down, the BEST pancakes I have ever made! What I really love about them is that they’re not cooked on a griddle or frying pan which makes them really easy to make for guests. All the prep can be done first thing in the morning, then thrown in the oven 15 minutes before you’re ready to eat.
We have an annual tradition with my college girlfriends to have a Christmas brunch together. Most years, it’s the only time we see each other all year because we have moved physically far apart. Luckily, family brings everyone nearer for the holidays.
This recipe is from Martha Stewart’s website. For 6 adults and 3 little ones, i made a triple batch (18 pancakes). That was just enough.. So, depending on what you’re serving with the, I suggest making more! I served mine with bacon, a fruit salad (melons, pineapple, blueberries and pomegranate), yogurt and granola.
Here is what you will need:
Makes 6 pancakes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for tin, and 2 tablespoons melted
unsalted butter
5 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for tin
2 Granny Smith apples (about 1 pound)
1/4 cup light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter inside each muffin cup of a 6-cup nonstick jumbo muffin tin; coat with granulated sugar. Peel, core, and slice apples into 12 wedges, then cut wedges into 3 pieces. In a medium bowl, toss apples with brown sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon.
2) Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add apples and saute, turning occasionally, until caramelized, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove pan from stove; let cool 5 minutes.
3) Divide caramelized apples among prepared muffin cups. Set aside.
4) In the bowl of a food processor (I used my Kitchen Aid mixer), combine flour, salt, 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, eggs, and milk; process for 3 minutes. (That’s a lot of sugar! I wouldn’t normally even make a recipe with this much sugar, but hey, it’s the holidays! I’d like to attempt substituting apple sauce for some of the sugar in the future.)
5) Pour batter over apples. Transfer tin to oven; reduce heat to 400 degrees.
6) Bake until pancakes puff up, about 15 minutes. Remove tin from oven; invert onto a flat work surface. Dust with confectioners’ sugar; serve immediately. (One batch of my pancakes stuck to the pan, which made for a few ugly ones.. so be sure to do a good job greasing your pans and/or use good quality non-stick pans)
And the final result? Delicious! I was so caught up with getting everyone fed, that I forgot to take a final photo, unfortunately. But I can assure you that these are a hit with guests. I also forgot to mention the whip cream!.. I whipped my cream the night before and forgot it in the fridge. The pancakes are delicious without — but I can just imagine how much better they would have been with even more sugar!!
Kath’s quote: “I know the look of an apple that is roasting and sizzling on the hearth on a winter’s evening, and I know the comfort that comes of eating it hot, along with some sugar and a drench of cream… I know how the nuts taken in conjunction with winter apples, cider, and doughnuts, make old people’s tales and old jokes sound fresh and crisp and enchanting.”-Mark Twain
You’ve got a friend
I have made something similar in a huge pan but love the idea of making individual pancakes in muffin tins. Perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another reader has asked if they can be frozen -just researching that now.
They likely can be frozen, but it would be difficult to keep them looking as nice as they did coming out of the pan. I wouldn’t recommend it. But, nothing stops you from pre-making and freezing the apple mixture — that’s the most work!