dutch baby, rain baby

I look outside and judge the type of rain based on if the chickens are out of their house

she can not decide, so we just leave the door open

We started the day in cotton gowns, sleeveless and as it started to rain I reached for a plaid shirt:: by the time the day darkens into night, we will be back in our flannel pajamas and definitely warm socks tomorrow. 
I made a blueberry Dutch Baby because it seems like the perfect rainy morning to get the oven going.  It is an easy make, but I have read online that sometimes people struggle with the puff aspect of the oven pancake.  I'm not sure and can't attest to what problems they run into, but I'm wondering if it has something to do with the age of the eggs?  So I can only recommend using farm eggs, either from yours or your neighborhood egg person,,,they are everywhere these days <yay> My recipe is: 

preheat your oven to 400 degrees (mine is convection and automatically adjusts this to 375)

3 farm fresh eggs (room temp)

3/4 cup milk

3 T melted butter.   preheat and melt it in your size 8 or 10 inch cast iron skillet and pour half of it into your milk and egg mixture.  I use my stove top for this step. Leave the rest in the pan on low. 

3 T (more or less) raw cane sugar.  you can put less but you may not get that crusty sweet top that pairs well with the tartness of the blueberries. 

1 T vanilla

pinch salt

3/4 unbleached organic AP flour 

1/4 cup wild blueberries, frozen (my favorites are found at Trader Joe's and are wild harvested from the Boreal forest in Canada) I really do think the tiny berries work great here.  I add half to the buttered warmed skillet bottom, pour in my batter and sprinkle the rest on top and pop into the oven.  

Bake for 20+ minutes, until puffed and set in the center. 

While your Dutch baby is baking, set your timer on your phone because you don't want to forget it, ahem.  take your phone outside in your backyard and walk around with your pajamas in the rain (if you are so lucky) and enjoy this time while your breakfast cooks. This is part of the "recipe" so you must do it for the pancake to come out!! :))

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.  I have a lot of work to get done at home today.  But I plan to do it well fed and very well caffeinated. OK, I'm off to find those wool socks I already packed away because we will wake up to 40s tomorrow! 

xo, ~tina