Winter Favorites #4: Apple Pfannkuchen

Howdy friends!  I originally came across this recipe in a booklet that came with my Oster Kitchen Center more years ago than I can count!  My hubby and I first started making it not long after we first married, and we’ve adapted it over the years to make it our own.

I always start craving it the minute the weather starts turning cool each fall.  I guess it’s supposed to be a breakfast food, but we generally have it for supper.  For me it has become the definition of “comfort food.”

Sometimes, my sweet husband has it ready and waiting for me when I come in from a long day at the office.  Having that wonderful aroma and that sweet guy greet me at the front door reminds me how grateful I am for the blessings of home.

Do you have any recipes that bless you that way?  If so, please share them!!

Apple Pfannkuchen

Batter:

1 cup skim milk (or whatever type of milk you prefer)

1/2 cup HEB Real Eggs (or 2 actual eggs)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour (if you don’t have wheat flour, just use 2/3 cup all-purpose - that’s what the original recipe called for anyway)

3 Tablespoons Whey Low (you can also use regular sugar if you prefer)

1/4 teaspoon salt (the original recipe called for 1/2 tsp., but I cut that amount in half with no real flavor loss)

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon peel (you can use dried, but the fresh adds a much brighter flavor)

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

Put milk eggs, flours, sugar, salt & lemon peel into blender container.  Cover and process at a medium speed until well blended.

Pour butter into a 9” pie plate (you can use a cast-iron skillet, if you prefer) and turn the plate until the butter is evenly distributed, making sure to butter the sides as well as the bottom.

Bake at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes.  (It’s ready when it gets puffy and deep golden brown.)

Pour apple filling (or whatever filling you prefer) into center of Pfannkuchen and serve immediately.  The pancake will collapse soon after removal from the oven.

NOTE:  Pfannkuchen is also good served with a simple topping of fresh berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, or whatever you have on hand) and a little powdered sugar.

Apple Filling:

2 Tablespoons butter

2 cups diced Granny Smith apples (The original recipe called for peeled, sliced apples, but I prefer diced - it’s easier to eat that way - with the peels on.  The peels are yummy and add color along with a nutrition boost!)

2 Tablespoons Whey Low (again, you can also regular sugar if you prefer)

1 Tablespoon sugar (the original recipe calls for 3 Tbsp. sugar - I generally substitute Whey Low for the entire amount, but in this case adding some real sugar helps with the caramelization process)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Hillshire FarmTurkey Lit’l Smokies sliced, optional (I usually use about 10 or 12 of them - the original recipe didn’t include these, but my husband came up with the idea of adding them, and it was so good that we’ve made it part of our recipe!)

(I’ve also served regular smoked sausage links, on the side, in place of the Lit’l Smokies)

Melt butter in a large skillet.  Add apples, sugars & cinnamon and cook over medium-low heat until the apples are tender.  (I usually have the apples already diced, so I can start cooking them when I put the Pfannkuchen into the oven.)  Stir in the sausage (it’s pre-cooked) and cook it just long enough to get hot.

PLEASE give this one a try…it’s soooooooooo good!!  Feel free to make it your own as well, but let me know what variations you try.  I’m always open to new ideas.

Have a GREAT weekend my friends!

Blessings,

--Faithy