i first saw david eyre’s pancake when it cropped up in the new york times last year and although i had it bookmarked for some time, i never got around to actually making it at home. this weekend i was in the mood for dessert for breakfast (i actually remember eating birthday cake for breakfast several times growing up so it’s nothing new for me), so i fired up the oven and whipped up one of these bad boys. it’s so light that it’s almost like eating a crepe, and the wow factor of an inflated pancake coming out of the oven just seals the deal. i will be making more of these in the very near future. and although it looks very delicate, it’s pretty idiot-proof.

traditionally, the pancakes are doused in lemon juice and sprinkled with a generous amount of confectioner’s sugar before serving. i upped the ante with a simple apple syrup that i first created on one cold morning a few years ago. i was looking for something that would warm me up, and i was bored with maple syrup. basically, you cook down apples until you have a sticky, sweet, bubbly mess in a saucepan, and pour it over anything you want to taste delicious.

david eyre’s pancake with homemade apple syrup
pancake from the New York Times, apple syrup is my own creation.

pancake
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
1 pinch nutmeg
2 1/2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar
juice of half a lemon

apple syrup
2 cups apples, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon

1. make the apple syrup: heat the cubes apples, brown sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a saucepan on medium heat until it the apples break down and the mixture becomes thick and bubbly. feel free to add a tablespoon of apple juice or lemon juice if sticks to the pan too much. applesauce also works well to add some liquid if you have it handy. since we’re not making a completely smooth apple butter, the finished syrup will have some good soft apple chunks in it. best served warm over the pancake.

2. make the pancake: in a large bowl, mix together the flour, milk, eggs and nutmeg until moist and slightly lumpy.

3. in a 12″ oven-safe skillet, melt the butter. pour in the pancake batter and bake at 425F for 15-20 minutes until it is golden and puffy. quickly remove from the oven, dust with confectioner’s sugar and return to the oven for 1-2 minutes. remove and sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.