Blueberry Dutch Baby

 

Most of these ingredients I keep on hand except for the blueberries and lemon zest.  The blueberries are usually sold in a quantity that ends up being two cups so I need to buy two lemons.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 1/2 cup  whole or 2% milk
• 1/2 cup  all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• the zest of one lemon

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• 1 cup blueberries
• Confectioners sugar for dusting

Maple Syrup

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a 9- or 10-inch cast iron skillet over low heat on your stovetop. Keep it over low heat while you prepare the batter. 
2. Melt two tablespoons of the butter in the cast iron skillet, then transfer to a blender. Add the milk, flour, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest, and blend until smooth. (Do not skip this step — the batter will be lumpy if you do.)
3. Place the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter into the cast iron skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high. Let the butter melt, add the blueberries, and give the skillet a shake. Immediately pour the batter over the blueberries and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until the pancake is puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.
4. You might be tempted to open the oven to check on things-especially if your oven glass door is dirty like mine and you can't see.  Resist this temptation and trust your oven temperature.  It will be ready in 15 minutes; no sooner and no later.  If you open the door you run the risk that it will fall and maybe you have invited guests that you want to see the dramatic tall dish that will then fall right before them and not in the depths of your oven.  
5. Remove pan from the oven, and dust with confectioners sugar, if you wish. Cut and serve immediately with maple syrup. Yes, it will fall.  You have not failed.  And if you can't serve it immediately, that's OK, too.  Hot blueberries can be overwhelming. But nobody is going to want to wait.  This is tasty. 

Royal Wedding Cake

The Dalls Morning News' published their version of the Groom's cake at the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  Not only is it insanely easy to make it doesn't even require cooking. I made my own version substituting ingredients that are easier to get than the British version.  The original version calls for "digestive biscuits".  I haven't a clue what these are but they sound really nasty.  So I used vanilla wafers.  The first one I made wasn't very good  because I used evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk.  It makes a huge difference.   

12 ounce package of vanilla wafers. any brand.  Poke a hole in the bag with an icepick and beat up the wafers with a rolling pin.  Don't beat them up into crumbs, there should be small pieces and some crumbs. 

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips ( buy a 12 ounce bag.  You will use it twice in this recipe.)
1 stick butter
14 ounces of sweetened condensed milk (Eagle brand kind of stuff)

heat the chips, butter and milk until everything is melted and smooth
add a hefty tablespoon of vanilla extract

Dump the wafers into the melted mixture and combine well. You could add some chopped almonds if you want for a nice texture.  The original recipe calls for raisins but dried cranberries might be nice, too.

Line a 9 inch cake pan with plastic wrap and pour the mixture into that, spreading it all evenly around the bottom. 
Chill for about 4 hours or until it sets.

When the cake has set, take it out of the plastic wrap.  Melt another 3/4 cup of dark chocolate chips and glaze the cake with that.

Refrigerate the cake but bring to room temp before serving.  Very rich, cut into thin slices.  Add maybe a strawberry and whipped cream.  This is basically a candy bar.