As an LA native, I consider myself incredibly lucky to have my family here. In a city full of transplants, my friends consider themselves lucky to have inherited my family by proxy. Over the years, my mom has been adopted as the resident mom on duty, lovingly nicknamed “Mama Gina”. Her meals are the stuff of legend. People are always sniffing around, asking what Mama Gina’s got cooking in her kitchen. Never a day goes by where she can’t been seen buzzing away over her stovetop, pots and pans a-bubblin’, delicious scents wafting down the street through the windows so you can actually smell the intoxicating aromas from the kitchen as you pull up. A few months ago, my mom started experimenting with a new recipe that has since become a heavy-rotation favorite at Sunday Family Brunch…the Dutch Baby. If you can imagine a giant soft-yet-crispy popover pancake soufflé baked in an iron skillet, you’ve got yourself a Dutch Baby. Now, if you can imagine that drizzled with butter, a touch of sugar and fresh-squeezed lemon juice, you’ve got yourself a little slice of Heaven.

I had been going on and on about the Dutch Baby to our resident foodie, Siren Sarah, for months. But I honestly felt like a bad friend, knowing Sarah can’t eat wheat and the pictures of this puffed-up treat hot out of the oven were enough to make any mouth water uncontrollably. It just wasn’t fair. So, with Mother’s Day hot on our heels this week, we decided to share the original Dutch Baby recipe with you for a homerun Mother’s Day Brunch contender…and also experiment with gluten-free and milk-free alternatives to make it friendly for everyone.

We weren’t sure how the alternative versions would fare, if we would even be able to recreate the soufflé effect or not. To our tremendous joy, we were able to fully honor the original spirit of the Dutch Baby with each alternative recipe we tried, with just the slightest difference in consistency. Incredibly fast and simple to make (the whole thing is made in a blender, then cooked in a skillet), do yourself a favor and give these Dutch Babies a whirl this Mother’s Day! Your family will love you for it!

Prep: 10 mins

Total: 30 mins

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

3 Tbsp. unsalted organic butter

3 organic eggs

¾ cup organic half & half

½ cup organic all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ cup organic sugar

1 Tbsp. fresh organic lemon juice

GLUTEN-FREE ALTS

In place of all-purpose flour, substitute:

½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour

MILK-FREE ALTS

In place of butter, substitute:

3 Tbsp. Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Sticks

(do not add additional salt if using vegan buttery sticks)

In place of half & half, substitute:

¼ cup coconut cream + ½ cup coconut milk = “coconut half & half”

***We like to use all organic products. You can use what you wish, but we do always recommend using organic flour, eggs & citrus. It really does taste better & is better for you.***

Preheat oven to 425°.

Place a medium-sized iron skillet in oven to heat up.

In a blender, combine all ingredients. Crack 3 eggs into the blender, then add half & half (or alternate milk), flour, salt, vanilla extract and sugar.

Blend all ingredients together on high-speed until frothy, 1-2 minutes.

Using a potholder, take the iron skillet out of the oven and place on stovetop. Melt 3 Tbsp. butter (or vegan sticks) into the pan, being sure to coat the bottom and sides of the skillet completely.

Pour the batter into the center of the hot skillet. Place skillet in oven and bake for 20 minutes, until it puffs up and browns lightly along the top.

Take skillet out of oven and place on stovetop. It will be puffed up like a large pancake soufflé, so you will want to be fast in serving it.

Quickly drizzle or spread a Tbsp. of butter/butter substitute onto the Dutch Baby. Sprinkle with a Tbsp. of organic sugar. Squeeze half an organic lemon over the pancake and serve while hot. Cut into 4 slices and serve one slice per plate. If you want to make it even more zesty, finely grate a little bit of lemon zest over the top. Eat immediately!

The great part about this dish is that, even though it’s doughy, it still somehow feels very light, airy and not too sweet. It’s both refreshing and extremely satisfying at the same time. You can experiment with different yummy toppings, depending on your preference. Try maple syrup, preserves, fresh fruit, Nutella, powdered sugar & cinnamon, or whatever your heart desires!

If you’re making the gluten-free version, the Dutch Baby has an identical soufflé effect with only a tiny change in consistency. It’s just the tiniest bit denser, but still incredibly delicious. You probably wouldn’t even notice in a taste test.

Same thing with making a milk-free version. We created our own “coconut half & half” by using coconut cream and coconut milk combined together. But if you are using regular flour, any alternate milk seems to work just fine and produces just a slightly denser texture.

If you are making a gluten-free AND milk-free Dutch Baby, this version has an ever-so-slightly more custard-like consistency than the others, but it does puff up and is equally as delicious. We do recommend using the “coconut milk half & half” as the milk alternative for this one.

So incredibly quick, easy and absolutely scrumptious—while packing tons of dramatic “wow” factor—be sure to try this dish out for Mom & the women you love this Mother’s Day! This Dutch Baby is guaranteed to please!

Happy Mother’s Day!! ~love, Sirens & Scoundrels

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Words & Alternate Recipes by Christina Huntington // Original Recipe by Gina Trikonis

Photography by Sarah Prikryl

© 2016 Sirens and Scoundrels