When my partner first tried to describe a Dutch Baby to me, I was utterly perplexed. It sounded delicious—a puff-pastry crêpe smothered in fresh fruit and whipped cream—and my mouth watered just thinking about it.
If you’re like me, we have two options: try your hand at making the recipe published in First, We Brunch by Rebecca Wellman (excerpt below), or get ourselves invited to one of Rebecca’s brunch potlucks. Since the latter seems unlikely, my colleague has assured me that a Dutch Baby is fairly straight-forward to make.
First, We Brunch by Rebecca Wellman (TouchWood Editions) features tons of the best brunch spots in “the brunch capital of the world,” Victoria, BC. Food and drink, both sweet and savoury, are included from chefs and restaurants across the city. There is a section for on-the-go recommendations (which means we’ll have to plan a trip to the capital), as well as options for different diets such as vegan and gluten-free. With so many choices, we had trouble picking just one excerpt.
Book Launch: If you’re lucky enough to be in the capital this evening, Tuesday, October 24, we highly recommend attending Rebecca’s book launch at Munro’s Books.
Giveaway: We’re also very excited to be holding a giveaway to win 1 copy of First, We Brunch, courtesy of TouchWood Editions. See below for entry details.
Dutch Baby with Fruit Compote
This Bon Appétit–inspired pancake-like recipe puffs up like a soufflé, so it’s important to serve it right out of the oven.
Serves 4
Fruit Compote
- 2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb
- 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Pancake
- 1 cup whipping (35%) cream
- 1 tablespoon icing sugar, plus more for garnish
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- pinch of salt
To make the fruit compote
In a medium pot over medium-high heat, mix together the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar. Stir to blend the fruit with the sugar, then turn down the heat to medium-low. Stirring frequently so the mixture does not burn, allow to simmer for about 20 minutes, until the fruit has broken down into a chunky jam-like texture. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To make the pancake
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
In a large bowl, whip the cream with the icing sugar until it forms firm peaks. Set aside.
Place the butter in a 10-inch ovenproof frying pan (preferably cast iron). Put the frying pan in the oven to melt the butter, about 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and swirl to cover the entire bottom of the pan.
Blend the milk and eggs in a blender until smooth. Add the flour and salt and blend until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the hot frying pan, return to the oven and bake for about 11 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed and browned. Remove from the oven, top with the strawberry rhubarb compote and whipping cream and sprinkle icing sugar overtop through a sieve. Serve immediately.
Recipe and photo courtesy of TouchWood Editions.
Excerpted from First, We Brunch by Rebecca Wellman © 2017
Giveaway: Enter to win a copy of First, We Brunch
We’re excited to be holding a giveaway to win 1 copy of First, We Brunch, courtesy of TouchWood Editions.
TO ENTER: tweet @ReadLocalBC with the hashtag #WinFirstWeBrunch and tell us what is your favourite brunch food or brunch spot. Drool-worthy photos count too.
Fine Print: Giveaway open to Canadian residents only. Giveaway opens October 24, 2017, and closes on November 1, 2017, at midnight PST.
Giveaway is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered.