German Pancake with Caramelized Apples

My mom used to make a regular (wheat) german pancake often when I was a kid and I loved that we got to have something so dessert-like for supper. She would always top it with fried apples and icing sugar. The other day I was trying to think of something a little more creative to do with the abundance of apples sitting on my counter, and I remembered this recipe from my childhood.  Luckily, my mom has developed a gluten-free version of a german panckae using our light flour blend.

I tried out this recipe the other day for supper and I was surprised at how easy and simple it was to make. The batter is mixed in a blender and baked in a pie plate, minimizing the kitchen mess. I also cooked up some breakfast sausages to add some protein to the meal.

The german pancake is denser than regular pancakes and has a bit of an eggy texture. If you've never had it before I highly recommend giving it a try. I know I will be making this long lost meal from my childhood again soon.

makes 9 inch pie plate. serves 3-4 if paired with sausage, etc. (you could double the recipe and make in a 9x13 pan)

Ingredients

1/2 cup gf flour blend (light flour blend)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp sugar
2/3 cup milk
3 eggs
2 T butter or margarine
1/2 t vanilla (optional)

Caramelized Apples
2-3 med sized baking apples cored and thinly sliced (sour ones are best)
1-2 Tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar

Directions

butter in pie plate and milk/egg mixture in blender

Preheat oven to 425 F. Put the 2 T butter in a 9" pie plate and place in the oven to melt and heat up.
Meanwhile, blend eggs and milk together in a blender. Add flour, baking powder, sugar and vanilla to the blender and blend until no lumps remain (30 seconds to a minute).
Take the pie plate out of the oven and pour the mixture in. Some of the melted butter will float on the top.
Bake for 18-22 minutes until the top starts to turn brown.

batter

prepared pie plate

ready to bake

after baking

While the pancake is in the oven, caramelize the apples in a frying pan.
Melt the butter/margarine in the pan on med-high heat. add sliced apples (peel is optional) and sprinkle cinnamon on top. (fried pears or peaches would make great alternatives)
Fry until apples start to soften. When only a minute or two remains, add the brown sugar to the apples and stir until they are coated in a brown sugar syrup.

with brown sugar

When the pancake is done, remove from the oven and cut into slices (the puffed up pancake will fall a bit at this stage - this is supposed to happen).
Top with the caramelized apples and icing sugar and serve with breakfast sausages, bacon, or ham.