For my family, Easter is becoming less about the activity and more about the food. As my kids grew from toddlers to tweens to teens, getting up early for anything was increasingly difficult. One sure fire method I’ve found for rousing them out of bed, however, is to prepare a warm, aromatic breakfast.
Having been raised in a family of spectacular cooks, it’s always been fun to prepare traditional recipes of my childhood. For a quick, simple and healthy Easter breakfast sure to please your family and friends, why not try my grandmother’s Dutch baby pancake with fresh fruit salad?
Grandma’s Dutch Baby Pancake
2 T. butter
½ c. milk
½ c. flour
¼ c. sugar
2 eggs
1 T. butter, softened
pinch of nutmeg
lemon wedges
powdered sugar or maple syrup (optional)
First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Next, melt 2 T. butter in 10 inch ovenproof skillet (I use Grandma’s cast iron) over medium heat. Make sure the butter covers the entire bottom and sides of the pan. Then, use a blender to puree together milk, flour, sugar, eggs, softened butter and nutmeg in bowl. Pour into skillet. Cook 1 minute. Finally, place the pan in the oven and bake 12-15 minutes, until puffed and golden. Be prepared to serve immediately-it will deflate after you remove it. Slice into wedges, and serve with fresh lemon, powdered sugar or syrup. Serves 4.
Grandma’s Fruit Salad with Sauce
1 basket blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries
1 basket strawberries
1 sliced orange
1 sliced pear
1 sliced apple
3 sprigs of fresh mint
⅔ c. sugar
½ c. orange juice
½ c. Muscatel or sweet sherry
3 T. lemon juice
First, rinse and drain all berries. Feel free to use any combination that is in season. Hull and slice strawberries. Peel orange, pear and apple and slice into segments. Place all fruit in bowl and gently toss. Next, crush mint in the palm of the hand. Place in a sauce pan with sugar and orange juice and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, and simmer 5 more minutes. Strain and discard mint. Finally, add wine, lemon juice and a dash of salt. Chill until cool, and toss over fruit.