Puffed Cherry Pancake

By garciamoss

This puffed cherry pancake is similar to an Apfelpfannkuchen—a puffy German pancake full of apples. Dust it with confectioners’ sugar or drizzle with maple syrup for a special breakfast treat.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Tips) or all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• 2 cups halved pitted sweet or sour cherries, fresh or frozen (thawed, drained; see Tips)
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds
• Confectioners’ sugar for garnish

Details

Adapted from eatingwell.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 450°F. Place 1 teaspoon butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or ovenproof nonstick skillet and transfer to the oven to melt the butter.
Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small pan or the microwave. Transfer to a medium bowl and whisk in milk, eggs and vanilla. Add flour, granulated sugar, salt and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
Remove the pan from the oven, tilting it to coat the bottom with butter. Add cherries in a layer. Pour the batter over the cherries and sprinkle with almonds.
Bake the pancake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before cutting into 4 wedges. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

Tips: Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat. It contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods while providing the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Find it at large supermarkets and natural-foods stores. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.
To pit fresh cherries, use a tool made for the job—a hand-held cherry pitter; it also works for olives! Or pry out the pit with the tip of a knife or vegetable peeler.