One of the perks of being a food blogger is that it gives me an excuse to keep trying new things. There’s always a restaurant to check out (for food inspiration, of course), there’s always new flavours to try, new meals to make, and new techniques to master.
Of course, sometimes that’s not always a good thing. There are days – weeks, even – where I just want to bake batch of simple chocolate chip cookies, or cook my favourite meal that’s already on the blog (see this, this, this, this or this <– some faves). My inspiration and motivation to keep making new recipes comes in waves.
On the off times where I just have no idea what to do, I dust off my Joy of Cooking cookbook.
If a kitchen bible was a thing, it would be the Joy of Cooking. It’s the standard just-moved-out-now-how-do-I-cook book that most young adults get, or are gifted, once they leave their parent’s nest. That’s how I got mine. It’s filled with basic recipes, techniques, and tricks for just about everything.
When I’m at a loss for what to cook, I’ll dust off my Joy of Cooking cookbook, close my eyes, open it to a random page and point at something. Then I’ll try and go from there. For example, if I do that now, I get…. Chocolate Cream Pie. If I go again… Baked Stuffed Peaches (those both sound really good and maybe I’ll have to try my hand at them soon).
I’ll take the recipe, and use it as my inspiration. The other day, I did just this and pointed at a Dutch Baby.
To tell you the truth, I had never made a Dutch Baby before. I had heard of them, but it wasn’t something that I grew up eating, and I just never thought to make one. Turns out, YUM.
Have you ever had a dutch baby? It’s essentially just a skillet pancake that you bake in the oven. It puffs up and turns a beautiful golden colour, and has a similar taste and texture to a popover or yorhshire pudding. Crispy on the outside, warm and fluffy on the inside. Plus, they take about 5 minutes to whip together and then you just let it bake in the oven for 10 minutes. They’re foolproof.
I took the recipe from the Joy of Cooking and modified it, adding a bit of orange zest and chocolate chips, because, well, that flavour combination is to die for. Orange and dark chocolate, to be more specific. I absolutely adore dark chocolate.
So this weekend, if you’re looking for something fun to cook for brunch, try a dutch baby! You won’t be disappointed. I felt like a kid watching it rise in the oven.
| Chocolate Orange Dutch Baby | Print |
- ½ cup milk
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp orange zest
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 Tbsp (1/2 a stick) butter
- Icing sugar, to serve (optional)
- Orange slices, to serve
- Chocolate chips, to serve
- Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 425°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, salt, and orange zest. Add flour and whisk until smooth.
- Melt butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, or other oven-safe pan, over medium heat. Tilt the skillet so the butter coats the sides.
- Pour batter into skillet and cook, without stirring, for 1 minute. Place skillet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Lower oven temperature down to 350°F and bake for another 10 minutes until pancake is puffed and browned.
- Serve immediately, before pancake falls. Sprinkle with icing sugar, top with chocolate chips and orange slices.
My wife loves Yorkshire puddings, so I may surprise her with this tomorrow morning for breakfast! I may even flambé the orange with some booze for a bit of theatre.
That’s such a lovely idea, Martin!
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