Puff Piece

This is one of my favorite "what the heck am I going to make for dinner" dinners.  It's based on a recipe from Seventeen Magazine's "Now You're Cooking" regular feature back in the early '80s (yes, Mrs. K did clip it and save it all these years--even as a young one I liked good food ideas).

I love it because it (a) uses things I usually have on hand, (b) goes from start to table in about 30 minutes, and (c) tastes really good and looks cool, too. 

Fruit Puff Pancake


2 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 medium apples peeled, cored and sliced, or 3 ripe pears, or 1 to 1 1/2 cup other fruit sliced (unless it's small enough like blueberries--adjust sugar if it's more sweet or tart, and omit cinnamon if it doesn't really go with the fruit.)


3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400.  Place 12 inch ovenproof skillet with the butter in oven a few minutes to heat and melt butter.

Meanwhile, peel or slice fruit if necessary and toss with the sugar and cinnamon.

In medium bowl, whisk flour with 1/2 cup milk (mixing some of the milk first gets the lumps out).  Whisk in remaining ingredients till blended.

Remove skillet and swirl to coat with butter.  Dump in fruit to make a fairly even layer.  Pour batter over fruit.

Bake uncovered 28-33 minutes until puffy and golden brown.  Get everyone to the table to admire it before it deflates!

Serves 3 to 4.