Across the US where apples are plentiful, the return of autumn brings with it an abundance or spike in popularity of the fruit. It’s the season for picking, and many people indulge in the activity for some family fun. What to do with all your produce?

If you’re someone like me who doesn’t eat 'an apple a day', you’ll want to create some recipes to make use of them! 

Apples are great in that not only do they offer a lot of nutrients, but they are versatile and can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes, for any meal of the day. For example, check out my apple muffins and my pork chops and apple skillet.

This recipe is a seasonal update of another on the website suited better for the summer - the Dutch baby! A giant pancake baked in a cast-iron skillet that is an absolute delight to eat. The addition of the apples makes it extra hearty and the perfect addition to the brunch table.

For some additional moisture and more of an apple flavour, substitute one of the eggs for 1/4 cup of apple sauce. Be sure not to leave out the spices, they compliment the apples and truly make it a brunch dish for the fall. 

Ingredients

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs

2 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 tablespoon melted butter

5 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup warm almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (2)

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (2)

1/4 teaspoon cloves (2)

1 scoop crème brûlée ice cream (or whipped cream)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 apple, peeled, quartered, decored, and sliced

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Pecans (optional)

Icing sugar

Salted caramel:

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter

Pinch of salt crystals

1/4 cup milk or cream (I used almond)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

Prepare the apples. Toss them in 2 tablespoons of butter, the apple cider vinegar, one serving of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and the brown sugar. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the apples begin to soften. Remove from heat. 

Add the flour, vanilla, salt, milk, light brown sugar, eggs, the remaining cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and 1 tablespoon of melted butter to a blender and blend until smooth.

Spray a cast-iron skillet with cooking oil spray and add two tablespoons of butter over medium heat until melted.

Pour the batter into the skillet, and gently place apple slices on top - you may have a few remaining you can use later. Bake in a 400F oven for 30 minutes.

While the pancake is baking, make the caramel. Melt the butter and sugar and mix until the sugar has dissolved, for about 2 minutes. Stir in the milk and salt. Remove from heat and add the vanilla and baking soda. 

Once the Dutch baby is done, let it cool for about 5 minutes. You will notice that the pancake will be puffed up at first, some of that will go down which is normal! 

Serve the Dutch baby warm with ice cream or whipped cream.