Lemon Blueberry Dutch Baby

My favorite type of recipes are ones that are totally impressive yet shockingly simple. So, it’s no surprise that pancake Saturday at my house usually involves getting out the cast iron skillet to make a custardy Dutch baby. And while a classic Dutch baby pancake is great, nothing beats a puffed-up pancake flavored with sunny fresh lemon and sweet, jammy blueberries. Between the golden puffed edges, custardy center, and fruit-forward combo of lemon and blueberries, there is no better way to start spring. 

This lemon blueberry dutch baby is one to bookmark for weekend brunch with friends, special occasions like Easter morning and Mother’s Day, and mornings when you just want to embrace the season. 

• Between the irresistible flavor combo of fresh lemon and blueberries and the eye-catching billowy puffs of the Dutch baby as it comes out of the oven, this pancake looks and tastes totally impressive.
• A dish this impressive looks like it should take a lot of effort, but in reality it takes less than five minutes to mix together the batter.

• Large eggs. Before doing anything else, take out three eggs and let them come to room temperature. Room-temperature eggs will mix into the batter easier and yield a loftier pancake.
• Milk. Whole and 2% milk both work well here. I recommend taking it out of the fridge at the same time you take the eggs out, and let the milk sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
• Lemon. A combination of zest and juice give this Dutch baby a gentle lemony flavor. To really maximize the lemon flavor, rub the lemon zest into a couple spoonfuls of granulated sugar to release the oils in the fruit. 
• All-purpose flour. While Dutch baby pancakes are decidedly eggy and custardy, they still need a little flour to give shape and sturdiness.
• Blueberries. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries; both work well in this recipe.

1. Cook the blueberries. Melt butter in the skillet on the stovetop and heat the blueberries just until they swell and begin to release a little bit of juice. 
2. Make the batter. Take your pick between whisking together the batter by hand in a mixing bowl or blitzing all the ingredients together in a blender. Both methods work well and take just a few minutes. I prefer mixing by hand because I feel like it makes a slightly taller pancake, plus I hate washing the blender.
3. Bake the Dutch baby. Take the 10-inch cast iron skillet off the heat and pour the batter over the blueberries. Slide into the oven and bake until the center is set and the edges are puffed and lightly browned.

• Nothing beats fresh blueberries here, and they’ll always be my first pick for this recipe. That said, frozen blueberries also work great and taste delicious here.
• If you happen to have lemon extract on hand, use that in place of vanilla extract to up the lemon flavor even more. If you love the flavor of almond extract, try using that instead.