German Cinnamon-Apple Puff Pancake

I LOVE this recipe. Combine amazing flavors with the ease of throwing it together, add some bacon on the side (optional, but who doesn't like bacon?!), and you have the ultimate breakfast! A sweet, puffy German pancake with tender cinnamon apples throughout...yum! It'll look and taste like you spent a long time making it, but the truth is, it's really quite simple!

Baking Time: 35 minutes
Baking Temperature: 375 degrees

Ingredients:

1 large granny smith apple (or other tart apple), peeled, cored, and sliced thinly
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon, divided (you will use 1/2 tsp. in the sugar and 1/2 tsp. in the batter)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 c. milk
1 c. flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
powdered sugar (optional)


As your oven is preheating, throw the butter into a 9x13" pan and pop it in the oven so that the butter melts. While it's melting, it's a great time to get the apples peeled and ready to go.  Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the oven and place the sliced apples over the top of it.

Place the pan back in the oven and bake it for about 10 more minutes, until the apples are tender. At this point, you will combine the brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and the nutmeg and sprinkle it over the top of the apples.

Take the remaining ingredients (minus the powdered sugar), and place them into a blender, allowing it to mix for about 30 seconds, or until all the ingredients are well combined. Pour this mixture over the top of the apples.

Allow the pancake to bake for about 35 minutes or until the apples rise and the top of the pancake is a nice golden brown color.  The pancake will be extremely puffy at first, but will quickly deflate a few moments after being removed from the oven.

Go ahead and slice into it, topping it with powdered sugar and syrup if you like. We tend to like things sweet around here. :)