Food Forum

Apfelpfannkuchen

Remember having breakfast for supper when you were young?

We always looked forward to those rare occasions when our mother would announce we were having pancakes or waffles with syrup and sausage on the side as our evening meal. There was something a little decadent about having breakfast food for dinner, something akin to eating dessert first.

So when my fiancée announced she was going to make German apple pancakes for supper the other night, I was delighted. Only she didn’t call them German apple pancakes. She called them apfelpfannkuchen.

These are not your mother’s pancakes — unless your mother came from Düsseldorf. They’re tender, slightly sweet and custardy and studded with apples that have been sauteed in melted butter with sugar and cinnamon.

If that wasn’t good enough, Beverly also grilled some thick-sliced applewood-flavored bacon as accompaniment.

We ate the pancakes with maple syrup and butter, and I counted myself a lucky guy.

Here’s the recipe.

Apfelpfannkuchen

German Apple Pancakes from an old recipe adapted by Beverly M. Elander

Makes four 6-inch pancakes, enough for two people

Ingredients:

Filling

2 tablespoons butter
2 large, firm apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Saute apples in melted better until slightly soft. Add sugar and cinnamon and cook another minute.

Pancakes:

4 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk (I used fat-free milk)
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-4 tablespoons butter
Good grade of real maple syrup

Directions

Whisk together eggs and milk until just mixed. Add dry ingredients, gradually stirring constantly.

Melt about 1 tablespoon butter in 6-inch skillet, add 1/8 of the batter, and evenly spread about 1/4 of the apples on top. Cook about 3 minutes.

Pour another 1/8 of batter on top and slide under broiler about 6” from heat. Cook another 2-3 minutes until firm and golden brown.

Slide onto warm plate and serve with maple syrup.

Repeat for rest of batter and apples.

PHOTO BY BEVERLY M. ELANDER: German Apple Pancakes with Thick-Sliced Applewood-Smoked Bacon

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