Dutch Baby pancake

Start the day with a skillet-sized oven pancake 

I first had a Dutch Baby at the Pancake House. It's basically a jumbo pancake served with lemon, powdered sugar, and butter. The center of a Dutch Baby is a bit custardy (eggy in the best way) and the edges are perfectly crisp and pancake-y. When I saw the America's Test Kitchen how-to, I realized how easy it would be to make at home. 

Not only are these babies relatively simple to make, they're also rather impressive-looking. Though the Pancake House likes to claim a full Dutch Baby as a single serving, I find the at-home Dutch Baby is perfect to split between four people — everyone gets a quarter! 

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DUTCH BABY PANCAKE

WHAT YOU'LL NEED
2 TBS vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch, sifted (no lumps!) 
2 tsp lemon zest (I did roughly the zest of 1 lemon)
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 and 1/4 cups milk 
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBS butter, melted and cooled
powdered sugar, for serving
optional toppings: fruit, maple syrup, preserves, etc.

WHAT YOU'LL DO
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Brush the bottom and edges of a large oven-proof skillet with 2 TBS oil (we used a cast iron skillet this time; I've used non-stick in the past). Place the skillet in the oven and heat for 10 minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, combine flour, sifted cornstarch, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until light and frothy. Whisk in milk, butter, and vanilla until combined. Slowly whisk milk mixture into the flour mixture until no lumps remain. 

3. Remove heated skillet from oven and pour in the batter. Return skillet to the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges are crisp and the whole thing looks golden and delicious. 

4. Before serving, spread a layer of butter and a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar over the pancake (people might want more toppings, so load up the table with options). Cut into wedges and serve.

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A note about lemon: I've made a Dutch Baby without lemon before and it's just as tasty. So don't worry if you don't have a lemon on hand — you can still make this show-stopping, skillet-sized pancake to impress your friends. Or, you know, if you're feeling ambitious and hungry, eat it all yourself — the Pancake House would encourage it.