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In the midst of quarantine, we try to think of anything we can to make one day different from the other – especially the weekends! On Friday, we have family movie night. On Saturday, we have takeout for dinner. And on Sunday, I cook something special for breakfast. This week, I decided to try my hand at a German Pancake.
Regular pancakes are one of our go-to family breakfasts, but this time, I wanted something a little different. Plus, I wanted to start my day with a bigger dose of protein.
I was honestly excited to pull the pancake from the oven and surprise my family. And when I did, my husband, Jake, exclaimed, “Oh! It’s a Hootenanny Pancake!”
I’m sorry…a Hoot-eh what?
Apparently his mom made these when he was growing up, only they called them Hootenanny Pancakes. And if you were wondering, Hootenanny is an American colloquialism synonymous with thingamajig or whatchamacallit. (Thanks Wikipedia!)
Whatever you call it – it was dang good!
To Make the German Pancake
The key to German Pancakes is a well mixed batter and a preheated pan. Save yourself some time and add the butter to the pan and place in the oven while it’s preheating. Most recipes called for the batter to be mixed in a blender, but I don’t have one. (Small kitchen problems.) I do have an immersion blender (older version of this one) which I used to mix the eggs for about a minute before adding the additional ingredients and mixing another full minute.
Once the oven is preheated, simply swirl the melted butter around until it’s fully cover the bottom of the pan and pour the batter on top.
Berry Compote Time!
Once the pancake is in the oven, you can start on the berry compote. I used two cups of strawberries (chopped) and blueberries. You could also use blackberries or raspberries if you have those on hand.
Heat the berries in a small saucepan with the zest of one orange, fresh orange juice, and some sugar. If you don’t have an orange available, you could also add a couple tablespoons of water and some additional sugar, however the citrus gives the compote an added freshness.
As the fruit cooks, smash them against the edge of the pan to break them up. You want there to be small chunks of fruit remaining but smash enough for it to be a sauce.
Homemade Whipped Cream
Of course you could use store bought cool whip or reddiwhip, but there is something special about homemade whipped cream. It comes together quickly and will make your brunch guests think you’re way fancier than you really are.
Simply add heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on high until stiff peaks form or about 5 minutes. If you have a handheld mixer, it will work fine!
Making Ahead of Time?
You could certainly make the compote or whipped cream the night before, but they can easily be made while the pancake bakes. I would not make the pancake ahead of time, since blending the batter helps make it fluffy and the air bubbles would have escaped in the night.
German Pancake with Berry Compote & Whipped Cream
Ingredients
For the German Pancake:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 6 eggs
- 1 c flour
- 1 c milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Berry Compote:
- 2 c fresh berries
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- 1 tbsp sugar
- orange zest (optional)
For the Whipped Cream:
- 1 c heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400*. While the oven is preheating, add the butter to a 9X13″ pan to allow the butter to melt.
- Mix the eggs, flour, milk, and salt in a blender until well combined and smooth. Once the oven is preheated, remove the pan with melted butter, swirl to fully coat pan and pour the batter into the hot pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until puffed up and lightly browned.
- Meanwhile, prepare the berry compote by adding berries, orange juice, sugar, and zest to a small saucepan. Heat to a simmer and smash the berries using the back of a wooden spoon against the edge of the pan.
- Just before the German Pancake is finished cooking, make the whipped cream by combining heaving whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a stand or hand mixer using the whisk attachment until stiff peaks are formed.
- To serve, sprinkle with extra powdered sugar and top with berry compote and whipped cream.
Looking for more recipes? Find something you’ll enjoy here!
