A Dutch Baby for Lunch

 

 The recipe says "4 servings" but they're out of their mind. I shared the Dutch Baby I made with Tom and that left half for me. What you see above is my half. I could eat a whole one, no problem. Tom agrees.

 We always order a Dutch Baby when we eat at the Original Pancake House in Cincinnati. That seems to be their specialty. They note on their menu: "An oven-baked, light and delicate, “German” pancake, golden brown and dusted with powdered sugar. Served with lemon wedges, whipped butter and extra powdered sugar for a truly special treat. 13.95 (840 cal)"

 I've only made one once before. They're not complicated but it seems to take an hour to get everything together. A few days ago Tom bought fresh lemons at Aldi (a lemon wedge is required with a Dutch Baby) as is powdered sugar. When I asked why Tom came home with lemons his answer was straightforward. "Dutch Baby". So I knew he was looking for me to make one.

 The batter is very liquid and light.

 I had our dinner plates at the ready as well as the lemon wedges and powdered sugar.

 I baked this Dutch Baby for 22.-1/2 minutes, right in between the "20 to 25 minutes" called for. It seemed done so I took it out. The center had risen more than the sides (it looked like a sombrero) but it quickly collapsed back down as it cooled. I divided it into four slices.

 * I have since remembered that I placed the container on a cake pan which has a  hole in the middle. The extra heat was certainly responsible for the risen center.

 A question I had as I watched it rise was what causes it to rise? There's no leavening. Google provided the answer: "A Dutch baby rises due to the steam generated from its high liquid content cooking in a very hot skillet and oven. The air whipped into the batter is trapped by this steam, causing the pancake to puff up dramatically". 

 I should note that I didn't use a blender as is called for -  just because it means one more thing to wash. Instead I used a whisk and that is entirely sufficient to get a nice rise.

 A Dutch Baby - also called a "puffed Pancake" - is a satisfying meal. It looks prettier than the time it takes to make it. But somehow I need to find a way to make two at once.