Sunday mornings I make breakfast. We don’t have to be at church until twenty past ten. (Such a random time to start a meeting.) And with our early start to the morning, we have time to linger in the kitchen. (Waking anytime past six thirty we consider sleeping in. Thank you, baby. And chorus of chirping birds.) So instead of the usual yogurt and toast, we treat ourselves to a morning feast. And I look forward to it every week.

Eggs always make the menu, in one form or another. (Scrambled with fresh snipped chives and bit of grated Parmesan is my current obsession.) Sometimes alongside hash browns or bacon or sausage links. But always with a warm pile of waffles or stack of pancakes. And since it’s summer, fresh berries.

I tried a few versions of puffed pancakes before settling on this as my favorite. All of the recipes were similar in regards to the ratio of milk and eggs and flour. But the vanilla and dash of cinnamon set this one apart. As usual, I replaced half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat. And made the marinated blueberries to serve on top. Don’t waste that lemon you zested. Fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar also make a great topping. And this citrus and wild blueberry sauce is another delectable option.

Puffed Pancake (Vanilla Dutch Baby)

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used 1/4 cup all-purpose and 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. sugar
pinch salt
dash cinnamon
1 Tbsp. butter

For serving (all optional):
pint fresh blueberries (or frozen, thawed)
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
powdered sugar
strawberries, sliced
bananas, sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Place the butter in a large (preferably nonstick) saute pan or pie dish and place in the oven to melt.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk the eggs and milk together until well combined. Add the flour, vanilla, sugar, salt, and cinnamon and whisk vigorously to remove the lumps (about 30 seconds). Alternatively, you can throw everything in a blender and pulse until smooth.

3. Carefully remove the hot pan from the preheated oven and swirl the butter around to coat the pan. Pour in the prepared batter and return the pan to the oven. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and set in the center and golden around the edges.

4. Meanwhile, toss the blueberries in the sugar and lemon juice and set aside to marinate.

5. Remove the hot pancake from the pan and serve immediately with the fruit and powdered sugar.

Makes 1 pancake, serves 1-2.

(Adapted from Food Network)