Chocolate Dutch Baby with caramelised bananas

Chocolate Dutch Baby with caramelised bananas (3)

Chocolate Dutch Baby with caramelised bananas (1)

New

Baking Dessert

Serves 4

Prep 10 min

Cook 30 min

Rest 2h+ (or overnight)

The name ‘Dutch baby’ comes from early 1900s Seattle, where a family restaurant called Manca’s Cafe served German (‘Deutsch’) pancakes. A child couldn’t pronounce ‘Deutsch’, and ‘Dutch’ stuck instead.

The batter is the same one I’d use for crêpes and Yorkshire puddings - eggs, milk and flour, blitzed until smooth - just baked in one large pan. The one important factor is time: rest it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours, ideally overnight. That’s what gives you the dramatic rise when the batter hits the hot pan.

This version has cocoa in the batter and salted caramelised bananas on top, which takes it firmly into pudding territory, though it works just as well for a slow weekend breakfast. The Urfa chilli at the end is optional - a little earthy heat against all that sweetness. Serve with whatever else you like: sliced strawberries, chopped toasted nuts or more cream.

A note on equipment: an upright, high-speed or immersion blender gives you a finer batter and a much better rise - but a bowl, a whisk and some elbow grease will do the job too.

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE DUTCH BABY
3	eggs
175ml	milk
2 tsp	vanilla bean paste or extract
1 tbsp	caster sugar
100g	plain flour
1 ½	tbsp cocoa powder
30g	unsalted butter
	Fine sea salt
CARAMELISED BANANAS
30g	unsalted butter
2	medium bananas, peeled and cut into 1cm thick slices (200g)
125g	shop-bought salted caramel sauce (we like Steph’s)
TO SERVE
250ml	lightly sweetened whipped cream
	A handful of toasted chopped nuts (we like hazelnuts) or toasted sesame seeds
	Icing sugar, for dusting (optional)
	Cocoa powder, for dusting (optional)
	Urfa chilli flakes (optional)

Method

Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, flour, cocoa powder and ¼ teaspoon of salt in a blender (see equipment note) and blend the mixture until completely smooth. Cover and set aside in the fridge until ready to use (ideally a couple of hours in advance or up to overnight).
Preheat the oven to 210°C.
Add the butter to a large 30cm round ovenproof dish and place in the oven for about 7 minutes until the butter is foaming hot and starting to brown. Remove from the oven and immediately pour the batter into the dish, then return to the oven for 22 minutes until very well risen and golden brown.
About halfway through the baking time, add the butter for the bananas to a medium non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, swirling the pan frequently, until foaming and starting to brown. Add the bananas and cook for another 5 minutes, carefully turning them over halfway, until browned. Add the caramel sauce and reduce the heat to medium-low, and gently swirl the pan (being careful not to break up the bananas too much) to melt the caramel until it coats the bananas, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
To serve, spoon the bananas into the centre of the Dutch baby, followed by a few spoonfuls of cream. Sprinkle over the nuts and dust with icing sugar and cocoa powder, then bring to the table for everyone to tear into.