Another wet weekend in Seattle. Is it spring yet? Is it spring yet? Days like this scream "COMFORT", and this recipe is one of my go-tos for days like this. I found this in Rob Feenie's book, Feenies and made it for a snowy New Year's weekend away with friends. It was a big hit.
No big changes to this one. Know that when these come from the oven they will be lava-hot inside, so you'll need to allow for some resting time. Serve with a mountainous pile of bacon (as we obviously did. This is what you do when it's cold: You eat pork!)
Souffled Apple Pancakes with Cinnamon Maple Syrup
From Feenie’s, by Rob Feenie
Maple Syrup
1 quart Maple Syrup
3 sticks cinnamon
6 whole star anise
Apples
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
7 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, ¾ inch dice
Pancakes
10 large eggs
5 Tbsp sugar
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups milk
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Icing sugar, for garnish
Instructions:
Maple Syrup: Place all the ingredients in a saucepan on high heat and bring just to a boil. Remove from the stove and allow to cool. Store syrup, with the spices in it, in a large jar in the refrigerator. Will keep for 4 months.
Apples: Melt butter in large frying pan on medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Cook for 3 minutes until bubbly. Add apples and cook for about 8 minutes, or until softened. Remove from the heat.
Pancakes: Mix together eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Add flour, milk, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, then whisk well. In small batches, process in a blender until frothy. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
To assemble: Preheat the oven to 425 Farenheit. Divide apples into four 8-inch (or six 6-inch) ungreased casserole dishes. Ladle the pancake batter into the casseroles (1 ½ cups for each 8-inch dish or 1-cup for each 6-inch dish). Bake in the oven for 7 minutes. Rotate the dishes 180 degrees, then bake for another 7 minutes, until golden brown and puffed.
To serve: Place each casserole on a plate. Garnish each serving with a dusting of icing (powdered) sugar. Serve with a jug of cinnamon maple syrup on the side.