I know what you’re thinking. What is that Victoria? Is a pancake? An omelette?  Another baking disaster? It is none of the above my friends. Witness the birth of the new breakfast/brunch/afternoon tea crossover – the Dutch Baby, baby.

A Dutch Baby is in essence, a big ol’ Yorkshire pud that can be thrown together in an instant. Whacked into a screaming hot oven, the sides puff up, the cherries burst into colourful purple puddles and the butter glazes the top into a sweet crispness. And with a fragrant topping of orange scented sugar, this dish trumps all other breakfast efforts. Forget toast and a cup of tea, this is one breakfast cuddle that will cheer you up when the day is going to be fierce.

And what’s more, this breakfast dish reminds me of my days in Berlin, ordering a MilchKaffee and Kirschplunder in broken German on our lunch break, and devouring on the steps outside of German class. The crisp, fluffiness of the Dutch Baby, with its flecks of juicy cherry are reminiscent of the pastry I devoured by the truckload in Germany, and accompanying with coffee makes a morning of writing a little more bearable if I pretend that I can get the U-Bahn to town after I’ve finished my review. Guten Morgen Monday, it’s time to face you head on. Plus, there’s always some leftovers to have with my afternoon cuppa.

 

Recipe Adapted from Joy the Baker

 

You Will Need

3 eggs

160ml milk

100g plain flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or a spot of vanilla paste

1 pinch of salt

A small handful of cherries, stoned and chopped

50g butter

1 orange, zested

2 tablespoons caster sugar

 

Preheat the oven to 230oc/220oc fan/Gas Mark 8 and place a deep frying pan inside to heat up. Add the eggs to a large mixing bowl and beat using a hand mixer until thick and fluffy. With the mixer still running, alternatively add the flour and milk until full incorporated into the batter. Stir in the cherries, cinnamon, vanilla and salt.

Add the butter to the frying pan and return to the oven until melted. Carefully pour in the batter and return to the oven for 20 minutes until puffed up and golden.

To make the orange sugar, place the zest on a chopping board and add the caster sugar. With the back of a spoon, smooth the two ingredients together until they fully combined and the sugar smells fragrant.

Check on the Dutch Baby; it should now be puffed up with little bursts of cherry and glazed with the butter. Remove from the oven and cut into wedges. Serve with a spoonful of the orange sugar and a cup of coffee.