This recipe is based on a cocktail called the Nutty Irishman, which is Irish whiskey and Frangelico, but it is really just a small German Pancake. The term Dutch Baby stems from “Deutsche Pfannkuchen”, which translates to German Pancakes. A restaurant in the 1900s Seattle, owned by Victor Manca and called Manca’s, offered them on their menu, and there was nothing Dutch about them. They started calling them Dutch only because the word Deutsche sounds like Dutch, and Babies only because they were smaller in size.

I didn’t have Frangelico, which is a hazelnut liqueur, but was able to get hazelnuts, plus I wanted something crunchy to top these. I also made the toppings a little on the sweeter side, because the pancake itself is not that sweet. Overall, I think it works quite well, but there are a few key things to keep in mind when making these to ensure a successful Dutch Baby:

1. Make sure to heat up both the cast iron skillet and oven for at least 30 minutes before making these.
2. You don’t necessarily need to use a blender or food processor, but make sure the batter is smooth and also has rested for at least thirty minutes.
3. Some people insist on using bread flour, to ensure that it turns out tall, but I’ve used all-purpose flour with the same results.

the nutty irish dutch baby (makes two 7-inch dutch babies)

ingredients

2 eggs

3 Tablespoons Irish Whiskey

1/3 cup Baileys Irish Cream

1/2 cup sifted bread or all-purpose flour

1 large pinch sea salt

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

top with coffee whipped cream, whiskey caramel sauce, and candied hazelnuts (recipes below)

method

Heat oven to 475 degrees F. Place two 7-inch cast iron skillets (or other oven-safe similarly sized skillets) into the oven in the center rack.

Add the eggs, whiskey, irish cream, flour and salt into a blender or food processor and mix on high for about 20-30 seconds. Divide batter into two equal portions into two different cups (you should have about two 1/2-cup portions of batter, or about 1 cup of batter) and set aside for at least thirty minutes.

After oven has been at 475 degrees F. for at least 30 minutes, place the butter on the tip of a spoon, open the oven door and slide the butter into the center of the skillet and quickly close oven door.

After about a minute, quickly open the oven door again and carefully and quickly pour each portion of batter into their respective skillets, quickly closing the oven door and turning down the heat to 425 degrees F.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Each dutch baby should be puffy and browned along the edges and in some areas in the middle. Remove from oven and complete by adding desired garnishes.

I made a simple coffee whipped cream by whipping up one cup of heavy cream, gradually adding about 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar and about 1 teaspoon of instant coffee granules. Then I candied about 1 cup of hazelnuts, first by toasting them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree F. oven for 8 minutes, them tossed them with some melted butter and then dredged them in about 2 Tablespoons of confectioners sugar and heated them up constantly stirring them while in a large pan over medium heat until caramelized.

I also made a simple whiskey caramel sauce by heating up 1/2 cup of sugar with 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons of water, waited until it turned a deep amber color, then removed it from heat and added 1/4 cup of heavy cream while stirring vigorously as it bubbles and steams, then adding a pat of butter, a pinch of salt, and a splash of Jameson Irish whiskey and continuing to whisk until it is a smooth caramel sauce.