Made a Dutch Baby this morning using a recipe from Epicurious:
As the recipe notes, it’s like a cross between a pancake and a popover. Very delicious, and I highly recommend the recipe, only it calls for way too much lemon zest-sugar for sprinkling. About a third of what’s called for in the recipe would have been more than enough — and I’m not afraid of sugar. Also, we used Meyer lemons, which make everything better.
Another thing: We got a convection oven during our kitchen remodel a couple of years back. I like it except for one thing: If you use the convection setting, you can’t trust the recommended bake times from any recipe. And there doesn’t seem to be a common factor by which you can reduce it to apply across the board, which is kinda frustrating. Any tips on that dilemma welcome!
Open thread!
MattF
Well, a convection oven delivers more heat to the food in a given amount of time than a conventional oven. But the transport of that heat into the food is complicated. It’s through the same surface as before, so depending on whatever, the rate of cooking may or may not change very much. So, no simple answer, and YMMV.
Litlebritdifrnt
That looks more like a big Yorkshire Pudding Betty.
p.a.
Love those things; tried with just lemons. No can do. Maybe if we use powdered/confectioners sugar we could get away with using less than granular if we could distribute it thin enough.
Convection speeds cooking, but isn’t its main purpose aiding browning? Maybe 3/4 time normal oven normal temp, 1/4 convection to finish? You’ll only have to stove-hover the last bit?
CarolDuhart2
Anybody covering Obama’s trip to Cuba? Not that long ago the suggestion that a sitting President would go to Cuba while Fidel was alive would have caused riots, as well as the first flight of US mail. Yet this historic trip has thankfully been overlooked by our Presidential Election.
I hope that somehow he could find a way to make a stop in Teheran as President, but that might be too much to hope for these days.
Betty Cracker
@MattF: That tracks with my experience — it varies from recipe to recipe. I end up using the conventional setting more often than convection unless I have time to keep a close eye on it. The recipe above cooked in less than 15 minutes whereas the recipe called for 18-25.
CarolDuhart2
Anybody know where I can get real cast iron skillets these days? I used to have a tiny one, and from the suggestions of people here, they are well worth it for baking.
Schlemazel (parmesan rancor)
There used to be a chain in the Twin Cities, pannekoeken huis, that specialized in these things. The kids liked them but the stuff they served seemed like 90% sugar, made my teeth hurt. I thought about trying them at home because I know I could do better but it seemed like more work than it was worth.
My discovery with convection baking is that you reduce the temp & keep the time the same. There are several places online that detail how to adjust & I never remember but have to go look.
Betty Cracker
@CarolDuhart2: Right here.
Regarding PBO’s Cuba trip, he’s arriving today, correct? I expect the media will be on it once there are photos to share. I hope PBO doesn’t go to Iran. Glad the US brokered a nuclear deal, but Iran still hangs people from construction cranes for being gay. Fuck them. (And yes, fuck “allies” like Saudi Arabia that are equally barbaric.)
p.a.
@CarolDuhart2: Hardware stores, Cabela’s, does Lodge sell from its website? Yard sales. Resale shops.
Aimai
I make these all the time. I also make a version where you caramelize apples in the iron pan first–lots of sugar and butter and lemon–and bake the pancake iver it.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@CarolDuhart2:
This article about the trip to Havana is really interesting, and provides a glimpse into how and why PBO’s stable mind works so well on the international stage. He’s just not provocative, or provocable. Good grief. If I could go on one trip with him, it would be this one.
raven
@CarolDuhart2: Among the most prized objects owned by Southern families are the cast-iron skillets passed down from generation to generation. The ones in your kitchen probably came from Lodge Manufacturing Co., in the tiny Tennessee town of South Pittsburg. Most of us know well the memories contained in those old skillets, but we know very little about the integrity of the people who make them. A visit to the Lodge foundry certainly has lessons to teach us about the South and its culture. But more importantly, Lodge also exemplifies something remarkably rare in today’s business world: a family-run company that has built a booming, global business without selling out its hometown.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
Also, whichever BJ commenter noted that they were reading Ben Fountain’s book “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” and really liked it, thanks. I bought it and am almost done with it, and have really enjoyed it. I think it might have been Iowa Old Lady?
Scout211
Re: convection ovens. For baking, I usually reduce the temp by 5-10 degrees or the time by 5-10 minutes. It does depend on the recipe, though. For pies, I reduce the temp (and check for doneness toward the end) and for cookies, I reduce the time, for example. YMMV
I don’t use the convection setting or the convection roast setting for roasting meat. But I do use the convection setting for everything else and like the results.
xjmueller
We have a convection oven that lets us set for either “roast” or “bake”. I think it relates to how the convection fan runs – don’t really know. I usually am cooking meats or casseroles, so I use the roast. My rule of thumb is keep temp the same, but reduce time by 20% and check then. My wife bakes, and she does something similar using the bake setting – sets the timer five to ten minutes less, depending on the overall suggested time. This 20% thing gets us in the neighborhood, and then you check for doneness. It’s done when it’s done, not when the timer rings. You can also reduce heat and keep time the same. The 20% rule applies there too (350 becomes 300), but I like shorter cooking times. There’s converters and instructions on-line, but we follow the basic rule of 20% and it works fairly well.
Iowa Old Lady
@the Conster, la Citoyenne: I did really like that book! Glad you did too.
Librarian
I first read that as “Dutch Boy” and thought you were painting something.
CarolDuhart2
Thanks for the skillet tips. Once I’ve finished renovating my place, I will start baking a few things again.
It’s amazing how things have progressed in 8 years time, hasn’t it?
El Caganer
What’s wrong with a genuine American baby? You should have one of those for Hillary to devour onstage at the convention here in Philly.
NotMax
Buh-bye, winter.
The Horrors, First Day of Spring.
Punchy
So your paramour is Danish?
Wag
I usually use the convection setting on my oven to preheat the oven prior to switching to conventional for the actual baking. Convection cuts the preheat time in half. I also use it for pizza where convection gives a really crispy crust
tybee
@CarolDuhart2:
thrift stores can be a good source but visit often as the cast iron doesn’t hang around long.
ThresherK
@CarolDuhart2: The camping section of a big sports store is where I got mine.
Amir Khalid
Woe is me! Liverpool have squandered a halftime 2-0 lead at Southampton, and now trail 3-2 with three minutes to go.
RAM
When I was a little kid and my grandparents still lived out on their farm, my grandmother did all her stovetop cooking with a modern propane gas range and all her baking with her trusty, huge black and white porcelain cookstove. The most delicious bread came out of that oven, and it had no temperature gauge at all. I asked her once how she knew it was hot enough to start baking, and she said, “Well, you just stick your hand in like this and you’ll know when it’s right to start baking.” Not that I would recommend that, of course.
dmsilev
@raven:
There’s probably a specialty market for that.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Iowa Old Lady:
It’s like a dog paddle to keep my head above the flood of words (mimicing Billy’s experience), but there are a few stunning insights and turns of phrase that I’ve bookmarked – like an edgier, angrier Tom Robbins.
Betty Cracker
@the Conster, la Citoyenne:
Okay, now I gotta check it out…
rikyrah
I am a Bullied Teacher
MARCH 2, 2015 ~ MGREENE87
Each day, I pull into the parking lot of my school and sit in my car. I do not want to go in for fear of what this day will hold. I sit in my car and pray. I pray to God that today will be a good day for my children and me. I pray that I can withstand whatever my administration throws at me. I pray that I will be able to fight back tears in staff meetings. I pray that I will not face any scrutiny on this day. I pray these prayers, because I am being bullied. Not by my co-workers. Not by my students’ parents. No. I am being bullied by those who should be providing me support…my administration.
I am a bullied teacher.
I walk into my classroom with sadness in my heart and a frown on my face. I feel this sadness because I am not happy to be here. I am not happy to be here because I do not enjoy my job. I do not enjoy my job because I am being bullied. Each day, I am told I am not enough. I am told that I am not a good teacher. I am told that my lesson plans are not sufficient and my instructional strategies are deficient. I am told this through the actions and words of my administration.
I am a bullied teacher.
I have some of the sweetest children in my classroom; truly some of the sweetest one could ever ask for. They walk in each day with so much excitement on their face and love in their hearts. They love school and are so happy to be there. I try so hard to share in their excitement and joy for being at school. But I can’t. I have to put on an act each day so my children will not see how I really feel on the inside. I do not want them to know the truth. They are so kind and loving to one another…so innocent. I am ashamed that my administration never learned this character trait. I am ashamed they never learned to treat others as they would want to be treated.
I am a bullied teacher.
I begin the daily activities I have planned for my children, all the while knowing they won’t be enough. I am faced with the constant fear that my door will open and an administrator will walk in. My hands begin to involuntarily shake every time my door opens. My administration will walk in not to support me, not to learn with my children, but to bully me. They will scrutinize my teaching. They will scrutinize my lesson plans. They will scrutinize the activities we are doing in class. They will surely let me know I have not met their standards by the sour expressions on their faces.
OldDave
South Pittsburgh TN is just south of I-24 about an hour from Chattanooga. We live in Florida and SWMBO’s mom lives in Missouri – so driving I-24 is something we’ve done many times. We’ve stopped by the Lodge company store more than once to pick up cookware for family and friends – and the occasional cast iron pig with wings.
There’s a certain amount of care involved with cast iron – the dishwasher is a strict no-no – but it’s not bad. Basically rinse and dry by hand.
The Golux
Three threads back, there was a Jeet Heer tweet speculating on a name for the splinter GOP party.
I recommend TITPBP – the Turds In the Punch Bowl Party.
Culture of Truth
Obama’s not going to Iran. But this is truly an amazing trip for a President to make. He will speak directly to the people about the virtues of democracy and human rights. Maybe Cuba will finally make some progress in those areas. Sanctions certainly haven’t worked.
Brendancalling
@CarolDuhart2: depends where you live. That said, Fante’s in Philadelphia has them, and they ship. My phone won’t let me post the link, so look ’em up. I bought a nice pre-seasoned large cast iron pan for less than $30, IIRC.
Dmbeaster
Conversion formulas for convection ovens
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Betty Cracker:
I’ve read all of Tom Robbins’ books, and the wordsmithery is similar I think, but instead of mysticism and fun, it’s raw and polemical.
ThresherK
@OldDave: I can unseason a cast iron like nobody’s business, and I’ve tried everything. Until I learn it good and proper I won’t ruin any other pieces.
(Now enameled cast iron is another story; I have a couple pieces which I’d rescue from a house fire with my KitchenAid stand mixer, right after I evacuate the cats and my guitar.)
Brendancalling
Fantes . They ship. Great kitchen supply.
donnah
I bought my Lodge cast iron skillet at Target for twenty bucks. Works like a charm, but weighs a ton. And get an insulated little cover for the short handle.
SiubhanDuinne
@raven:
A few years ago, I went to the National Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg, topping off the day with a leisurely tour of the Lodge factory. Absolutely fascinating tour, and the NCF is great fun — you’d be amazed, AY-MAYZED I tells you, at how many things a person can do with cornbread, all of them both edible and legal. I think the Festival is at the end of April, so I guess I won’t be able to go this year, but maybe I’ll do a return visit in 2017.
OldDave
@raven: Very nice story. Thanks for the link.
bystander
@Librarian: I thought BC wrote “Dump Baby”.
Chyron HR
@Culture of Truth:
With a straight face?
Doug R
We’ve got a place around here- Gourmet Warehouse. All kinds of baking supplies and more than one kind of cast iron pan. Great for window shopping as it were, with an entire rack of hot sauces.
Unfortunately their website is down right now. ….
http://www.gourmetwarehouse.ca
msaggrowa
@Betty Cracker:
I’ve had good results by lowering the oven temperature 15 degrees and reducing the baking time to 3/4 of the time given in the recipe.
low-tech cyclist
Damn, that looks good – I want some! How essential is the lemon zest sugar? Because I think we’ve got everything on hand I’d need to bake that Dutch Baby, but no lemons. Would it still be good with just a confectioners’ sugar topping, or maybe even cinnamon sugar? Because if I can make this without going to the store, I’m gonna do it right now.
raven
@SiubhanDuinne: Cool!
Betty Cracker
@low-tech cyclist: Not essential at all — you could treat it like a pancake and put syrup on it. Or like a crepe and fill it with sweet or savory stuff. Good luck — it’s easy!
ETA: I think cinnamon and sugar would work well too — sorta like an eggy funnel cake! The thing to remember is there’s not much salt and no sugar in the batter, so the topping does the heavy lifting for flavor.
ETA 2: Another thought — if you go with the cinnamon and sugar approach, you’d probably want to brush on some melted butter once the DB comes out of the oven so your cinnamon and sugar would stick to it.
raven
@ThresherK: Make roux in them.
tybee
@raven:
fry something in it.
low-tech cyclist
Thanks, Betty! I’ll give this a try.
Felonius Monk
Griswold cast iron cookware is the best. Out of business since the late 1950s and now pretty expensive (when you can find it. Better than anything Lodge makes these days.
The couple of pieces I inherited from my parents got lost long ago in a move. The cast iron I have now just doesn’t compare.
(Griswold)
Shell
Paging an erotic bakery!
tybee
@Felonius Monk:
i have a griswold “9” skillet like the one in the link except mine has the griswold logo, not the Erie.
bemused
My mom’s recipe for Finnish oven pancake or Kropsua handed down from my Finnish grandmother. The only sweetness is what you choose to pour on top, maple syrup, blueberry sauce or other berry/fruit sauce.
Mix tog:
3 to 4 eggs beaten or whisked
2 C milk
1 tsp salt
Add 1 C sifted flour and mix
Preheat oven 400 deg and put 3 metal loaf pans in oven to heat.
When oven reaches 400 deg, put a pat of butter into each pan and swirl to coat bottom and side.
Distribute batter equally among the pans and bake 22 to 35 min regular oven.
I use the metal pans only because there is 3 servings. You can experiment with other skillets or pans and adjust recipe amounts to suit your own preferences.
StellaB
I use the 8″ inch cast iron skillet that I bought at the co-op when I was a coddled baby-boomer college student (no longer receiving free UC, thanks to you Gov. Honorarybabyboomer Reagan!). Two eggs, 1/3 c flour, 1/3 c milk. Saute a thinly sliced apple in a little butter until it softens a little, add some cinnamon and brown sugar or maple syrup, if you are so inclined, then add the Dutch baby batter on top and pop it into the oven.
ThresherK (GPad)
@Shell: Now all I can think of is Patrick Stewart on SNL.
My first introduction to his cracking sense of humor was the Sexy Cakes sketch, where everything he prepared at his erotic bakery turned into
“Well, I made a small change to sex it up…”
“That’s a picture of a woman going to the bathroom!”
“Yes, and what’s more erotic than that?”
satby
Right now I’m simmering milk and 1/2&1/2 to make homemade ricotta cheese. Super easy: one 1/2 gal of milk (I mix milk and the cream), 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar or lemon juice, dash of salt. Warm the milk to 200 degrees, add the vinegar or lemon juice and salt, stir and then let the curds form for 10 minutes. Strain until it’s as dry as you like your ricotta. So much better than store bought.
PaulWartenberg2016
I got a poll going to see what kind of nickname we can call Trump voters.
Well, other than damn idiots, that is.
http://noticeatrend.blogspot.com/2016/03/poll-coming-up-with-appropriate.html
Let me know if you can’t see the poll questions.
Culture of Truth
@Chyron HR: He won both of ’em!
Mnemosyne
I made this chocolate chip Dutch baby a few times and it’s really good.
If the phrase “Dutch baby” doesn’t make you think of Christmas, you’re not watching enough “Bob’s Burgers”
Brachiator
This Dutch Baby looks delicious. Now, if only I could cook worth a damn.
Honus
@CarolDuhart2: not just a skillet, but a quality skillet made in the USA by well-treated workers:
http://bittersoutherner.com/lodge-cast-iron?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link#.Vu7gq0X3bv4
Steeplejack (phone)
@CarolDuhart2:
In additio to the other suggestions, Target carries Lodge skillets.
Litlebritdifrnt
Eddie Izzard completed TWO marathons today to make his goal of 27 in 27 days. He has raised 1.3 million pounds for the charity Sports Aid.
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35856814
Iowa Old Lady
One of you people who cooks needs to come and live at my house.
raven
@Honus: I posted that and either she didn’t read it or she wasn’t interested.
raven
@Iowa Old Lady: I knew when Illinois crushed Iowa in he B1G tourney the Hawks couldn’t be all that good.
Iowa Old Lady
@raven: Are you and capital R Raven the same person? You all are confusing me, which admittedly doesn’t always take much.
ETA: Sure looks like you’re right on Iowa.
satby
@Litlebritdifrnt: Well done him!
LAO
@Litlebritdifrnt: love Izzard. My second favorite routine. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq03xebtbeU
ETA: starts at 1:20
? Martin
@Litlebritdifrnt: That’s really amazing. That he’s not a lifelong athlete makes it just remarkable he could pull it off.
raven
@Iowa Old Lady: yes but I’m not the Raven on the Hill
bemused
@satby:
I assume the milk is whole milk?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Huh? What? Huh? I clicked on the link to see if there was some joke (he did it on a scooter or something) but he really did this? Wow.
Germy
Eddie portrayed Lenny Bruce in a stage play. Did a convincing job of it.
I think this was about ten years ago
scav
Eddie Izzard’s Techno-Fear always gets me.
ETA: it’s the “Ohh-hhh Don’t Do that.”
benw
A great filling for a dutch baby is glazed apples with cardamom.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
@CarolDuhart2: Obama wants to clean up as many messes as he can before January 2017. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he tries to squeeze in a trip to Tehran, and maybe even Pyongyang before then.
He takes the office seriously and recognizes its power to change the conversation…
Cheers,
Scott.
(Who realizes the last one is really an extraordinarily high hill to climb.)
gene108
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet:
That would greatly undermine the sanctions on North Korea for violating nuclear non-proliferation treaties and for their development of ballistic missiles.
North Korea getting nukes is one of the many failures of the Bush, Jr years.
joel hanes
@CarolDuhart2:
The Griswold brand you really want is no longer made, but can easily be found on Ebay
The Lodge brand cast-iron ware that you can buy on Amazon is IMHO inferior to Griswold.
If you want something you can wash, the Le Creuset line of cast iron covered in brignt-colored porcelain is good for dutch ovens and other braising stuff ; I’ve never tried their frying pans.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Pyongyang?
I’d be very surprised if he went to Tehran, if for no other reason than the conservatives in their gov’t would throw sand in the gears. But I wouldn’t be surprised at high visibility engagement with the Iranians, and maybe something less visible with N Korea.
Didn’t Albright go to Pyongyang? I think one of Christopher Hitchens’ hobbyhorses was Clinton’s failure to fix the Korean peninsula with personal diplomacy.
raven
The only reason Griswold are so sought after is that they are no longer made. If you want a collectors item get one of those. If you want to cook there is nothing wrong wit a Lodge.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I know Richardson and Carter went to Pyongyang several times (mainly to get people out). I don’t recall if Albright ever went.
gene108 commented above that Obama going to NK would undermine sanctions. I’m sure a way could be found so that that wouldn’t happen.
I think Obama clearly sees that the point of our policies around the world shouldn’t be to “save face” or “be consistent” or whatever, but to help countries to see the benefit of having policies that move them along a less confrontational path that is also better for their people (and ours). If he thought that going to Tehran and giving a speech and encouraging greater cultural exchanges, etc., would help that along, I’m sure he’d jump at the chance.
NK is a not so slow-rolling disaster. It could get much worse all of a sudden. Going there and showing the people that he isn’t a monster would do a lot to undermine the cult-of-personality and might, just might, help them to be less belligerent. That would be an unqualified good. But they may demand that “peace talks” and “reunification talks” be held to even let him in the country. It’s probably far too early to even begin planning something like that, but history can change quickly, so who knows.
Cheers,
Scott.
Ruckus
@rikyrah:
Ahhhh, the MBA approach. Management knows everything, practitioners nothing. In the military during war that approach sometimes leads to new officers in the field getting fragged because they get people killed. In business, and let’s be honest, education is now mostly looked at as a business in this country, it just runs things into the ground.
The idea that people actually doing the work have no idea what they are doing and have no concept of what they are supposed to be doing has been one of the greatest unseen disasters ever to be spread by “advanced” education.
satby
@bemused: yes, whole milk and a pint of 1/2. Though the recipe says you can use 2%, I never have.
cdmarine
You can put sugar directly into the recipe for Dutch babies/Finnish pancakes/etc. It’s an optional add-in that, in my experience, doesn’t change the texture much at all, but does change the flavor. Leave it out, and you can top the pancake with savory type things, like sausage gravy and whatnot. Put it in, and it becomes a sweeter thing that is nice with syrup or preserves. Also, the lemon is traditional, but it’s fine with just a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, too. Here’s the recipe I use:
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/4 cup butter (melted in the pan, not mixed into the batter)
Optional: 1/4 cup sugar
Optional: splash of vanilla
Optional: 1 tablespoon dried orange peel
Optional: 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or mace
Optional: confectioner’s sugar garnish
Basically, you can switch up all that optional stuff to be whatever kind of flavor profile you like.
NotMax
@CarolDuhart2
Open the Yellow Pages to “Restaurant Supplies” and find a place near you.
Go there, but set a firm budget first. Those places are ultra tempting.
joel hanes
@raven:
The grinding and finishwork my late-Depression Griswolds is much finer than that on the Lodge stuff I own, and I think they’re a bit lighter for the same diameter and depth.
No doubt you are correct that in a double-blind test, I could not tell the difference in cooking performance.
sigaba
‘Round the parts I grew up these were called a “pannekoeken.” Often filled with bacon.
Mart
I have had the best luck with a Dutch Baby recipe I got awhile ago from Cook’s Country on PBS. Secret ingredient – corn starch. I would link, but stupid 14 day free trial, and then spammed for life. Plus CC has 47 extra steps in all their recipes that help assure a major oops.
Best Dutch Baby I ever had was a vege concoction in Amsterdam (of all places). For some reason,being in Amsterdam seems to make food taste better…