Apple - Filled Pancakes

Photo: flickr user mccun934

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter

3 lbs. tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced into ¼-

2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preparation

In a heavy 12-inch skillet, melt 6 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, drop in the apple slices and sprinkle them with the mixed sugar and cinnamon. Cook, stirring gently from time to time, until the apples soften slightly and begin to color. Don't overcook. Set the skillet aside, off the heat.

8 eggs

2 1/2 c. milk

1 c. flour

4 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. butter

Confectioners sugar

Preheat the broiler to its highest point. To make the pancake batter, combine the eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl and beat them with a whisk or fork only long enough to blend them. Do not overbeat. Mix the flour with 4 teaspoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and add it to the eggs and milk a few tablespoonfuls at a time, stirring constantly all the while.

In a heavy 10-inch skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over moderate heat. When the foam subsides, pour in 1/2 cup of the batter and tip the pan from side to side so that the batter quickly covers the bottom. Strew 3/4 cup of apples evenly over the batter and let the pancake cook for 3 minutes. Watch carefully for any sign of burning and regulate the heat accordingly.

Pour a second 1/2 cup of batter over the apples and slide the skillet under the broiler 6 or 7 inches from the heat. Cook the pancake for 2 or 3 more minutes, or until the top is golden brown and firm to the touch. Watch carefully for any sign of burning.

Loosen the sides and bottom of the pancake with a metal spatula and slide the pancake onto a heated individual serving plate. The pancakes are best served at once but they may be covered with foil to keep them warm until they are all ready to be served. Add 1 tablespoon of additional butter to the skillet for each successive pancake. Just before serving, sprinkle the pancakes lightly with confectioners sugar.

NOTE: Traditionally, Apfelpfannkuchen are cooked entirely on top of the stove - a delicate process that involves turning the filled pancake without dislodging the apple filling. Finishing the pancake under the broiler is easier and safer for most cooks - and produces almost the same result.