Lazy Saturday - Honeymoon Pancake

When I was growing up, lazy Saturday mornings consisted of cartoons, friends sleeping over, and the promise of Honeymoon Pancakes, hot out of the oven. The recipe was there in the box, on an old faded and yellowing note card, written in my Grandmother's handwriting. It wasn't until years later that I realized nobody else called it a Honeymoon Pancake, but instead, a Dutch Baby, or a German Pancake.

But I refuse to use the common names. I like our family name for it much better than any of the others. It has the air of special occasion about it. And you can't help but feel that way anytime you pull one of these out of the oven. The way it puffs up to present itself, the steam rising and the edges golden brown, the butter sizzling in the pan and the toppings of fresh lemon and powdered sugar on top. It's a much requested breakfast dish with my friends and family, and I can't help but feel a sense of pride when setting one on the table. It always looks and smells fantastic.

This past New Year's my best friend even made a savory version for dinner. She added garlic and caramelized onions, and we all marveled at what a simple and delicious dinner it was. It goes to show how adaptable this dish is. Like crepe's, it can be sweet or savory, served in the morning or at night. Bake it with berries added straight to the batter, sauteed vegetables on top. Cheese would be a great addition. You could serve it a million different ways. But my favorite is still the old family classic. Served around 10am on a lazy Saturday, with good friends and family, and a squeeze of lemon and spoonful of powdered sugar on top.

Honeymoon Pancake

3 eggs

1 scant cup milk

1 scant cup flour

a pinch of salt

3 tbs sugar
1 tbsp butter

Preheat the oven and an ovenproof skillet to 450 degrees. The pan needs to be very hot before the ingredients are poured in. Mix the eggs, milk, flour, salt and sugar together in a bowl. Remove the pan from the oven and put the butter in. When the butter has melted, pour the batter in and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the pancake is puffy and golden brown on the edges. Serve with lemon wedges and powdered sugar.