S. Katz's Classic Baked German Apple Pancake
Why I Love This Recipe
I attended a culinary presentation dedicated to the german apple pancake. Here is Steve Katz's recipe that was provided at his presentation here in Chicago.
This recipe is prepared by lightly sauteing apples in butter and then laying them in a dry bed of blended sugar and cinnamon. The batter is then poured over the aples and the pan is placed in the oven.
The baking requires 1 hour, and is done in 3 steps:
1) Allow the pancake batter to "set up" by baking it for 25 minutes at 250 degrees;
2) (optional step) Allow the pancake to bake for an additional 20 minutes at 200 degrees;
3) Finally, "fire up" the apple pancake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees to allow it to rise dramatically.
When finished, the pancake is inverted onto a serving plate with the caramelized apples on the top.
Ingredients You'll Need
3 jumbo eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup skim milk
3/4 cup bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Vital Gluten
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 nutmeg
2 large granny smith apples, peeled, cored & sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon unsalted butter for sauteing apples
CINNAMON SUGAR MIXTURE:
3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons superfine sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons Saigon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon + extra pinch of cornstarch
2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons melted unsalted butter
Directions
Using electric mixer with whisk attachment, whisk eggs until foamy, then pour milk & cream into mixer bowl and blend well.
Mix dry ingredients together in separate bowl, then add gradually to egg mixture, a tablespoon at
a time, on low to medium power.
Continue mixing, scraping sides on bottom with rubber spatula. Then mix on low speed for five minutes.
Let batter sit for at least 10-15 minutes.
While batter is resting, Prepare the apples by melting 1 tablespoon butter in pan.
Place 30 apple slices in pan and saute for 4 minutes covered at medium heat turning one or twice. The apples should be sweating, not browned or cooked through.
Remove apples to a separate bowl.
To prepare cinnamon sugar mixture by combine sugars and cinnamon in a bowl.
Sift the cornstarch into the mix and blend thoroughly with a fork removing lumps.
Melt the butter in the pan & pour it into the cinnamon sugar using a fork to mix thoroughly. It will resemble a streusel-like topping.
Spread cinnamon sugar mixture over the bottom of the pan using the bottom of a fork.
Layer apples (do not pile up in middle) over the cinnamon sugar mixture to cover bottom of pan.
INTRODUCING THE BATTER:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Measure exactly 1 3/4 cups of batter and pour batter over the apples that have been placed over the cinnamon sugar mixture in the pan.
NOTE: If you pan appears to fill up before using all the batter, fill the pan with batter up to at least a 1/4 inch below the rim.
It will not overflow because the initial baking cycles are at low heat and the batter will set.
Place pan in preheated oven and reduce heat to 250 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes.
Remove pan from oven, cover with foil and place on stovetop to rest.
Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees.
When oven reaches 500 degrees, remove foil and place pan in oven; immediately reduce temperature to 450 degrees and bake for 12-15 minutes.
NOTE: Watch carefully during the last 5 minutes until the pancake has risen significantly and the top edges are deep brown. (This level of doneness helps the pancake stay up when inverted.)
Have a serving platter or large dinner plate ready where you serve the pancake.
Remove pan from oven, carefully invert pan onto serving plate by holding plate with one hand.
Serve immediately.
The end product is a beautiful sweet caramelized treat that is fondly known as a Classic Baked German Apple Pancake!