Bacon Cornbread Dutch Baby Food

SAVORY BACON DUTCH BABY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F. Cook bacon in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium, turning occasionally, until bacon is crisp and fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve 1 1/2 tablespoons drippings in skillet.
• While bacon cooks, process eggs, milk, flour, melted butter, salt, and pepper in a blender on medium speed until completely smooth, about 30 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
• Return skillet to medium heat; let heat 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat, and pour batter into skillet. Immediately transfer skillet to preheated oven. Bake until Dutch baby is puffed and golden brown, about 18 minutes. Do not open oven while cooking.
• Remove Dutch baby from oven; immediately sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven; bake at 425°F until cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with bacon and chives; serve immediately.

CHEF JOHN'S DUTCH BABIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Blend milk, flour, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt together in a blender until batter is smooth.
• Melt clarified butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until bubbling; pour batter into the center of the skillet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Brush with 1 tablespoon butter, drizzle lemon juice over the top, and dust with confectioners' sugar.

BACON CORNBREAD WITH CHEDDAR AND SCALLIONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and arrange the bacon on the rack. Bake until the bacon is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Set 5 bacon strips aside, then chop remaining bacon into small pieces.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium. Add the chopped scallions, sprinkle with a small pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the scallions are browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Grease a round 8-inch springform pan or cake pan with butter. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Add the milk, egg, honey and 1/4 cup olive oil and whisk until smooth. Stir in the chopped bacon, scallions and cheddar cheese. Pour the batter into the prepared pan; use a spoon to spread the batter into an even layer.
• Arrange the remaining bacon strips on top of the batter, trimming them as necessary, then bake until the cornbread is browned and firm in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a kitchen knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Cut into pieces and serve warm.

GRANDMA'S BACON FAT CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Whisk the cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a large bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and eggs together in a medium bowl. Fold the wet ingredients into the cornmeal mixture until just combined; set aside.
• Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat. When the skillet is smoking-hot, turn off the heat and add the fat, carefully stirring it around the pan as it melts. Pour the melted fat into the cornmeal batter and stir to combine. (Do not wipe out the skillet.) Pour the cornmeal mixture into the hot skillet (batter will sizzle) and bake until the edges are golden brown and the center bounces back when pressed with a finger, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

DUTCH BABY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut up butter into small pieces, and place in cast iron Dutch oven or skillet without the lid on. Place Dutch oven in hot oven. Prepare batter in a blender by placing eggs in and blending until foamy. Add milk, flour, salt and vanilla and blend until combined. When butter has fully melted in skillet, carefully remove hot Dutch oven from oven and swirl butter to coat pan. Quickly pour batter in skillet and place back in hot oven. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned. Remove from oven and cut into wedges and place on serving plates. Cut tablespoon pats of butter, and place a pat on each serving. Cut lemon in half, and squeeze juice over wedges and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

VANILLA DUTCH BABY (PUFFED PANCAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the butter in a large, ovenproof, nonstick saute pan and place in the oven.
• Meanwhile, in a blender, combine the eggs, flour, warm milk, sugar, vanilla extract and pinch of salt, and blend on medium-high speed until uniform. (If mixing by hand, combine the eggs with the milk until the mixture is light yellow and no longer stringy, about 1 minute. Add the flour, sugar, vanilla, and pinch of salt, and whisk vigorously to remove the lumps, about 30 seconds.)
• Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. The butter should be melted. Swirl the butter around the pan to coat completely, and then pour the remaining butter into the batter and pulse to blend. Pour the batter into the hot pan and return the pan to the oven. Cook until the pancake is puffed in the center and golden brown along the edges, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Using a spatula, remove the entire Dutch baby from the pan and place on a cooling rack for a few minutes to allow the steam to escape without condensing along the bottom and rendering the pancake soggy. Dust with confectioners' sugar when cooled slightly. Slice the pancake into 8 wedges on a serving platter or cutting board.

DUTCH BABY BUNNIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• If not already fried, fry bacon pieces until almost crispy and set on paper towel to drain. Discard bacon fat or save for another use.
• Place butter in 10-12 inch cast iron fry pan and place in oven until just melted and then remove.
• Combine remaining ingredients, except syrup, and mix well but do not over beat. Stir in bacon pieces.
• Pour into the cast iron pan with the melted butter and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Remove to cutting board and cut into 4 wedges.
• Serve with syrup.

BACON CORN BREAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the first six ingredients just until blended. Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Sprinkle with bacon, poppy seeds if desired and paprika. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into squares; serve warm.

DUTCH BABY WITH BACON AND RUNNY CAMEMBERT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place bacon in a 9-inch oven-safe skillet, then set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fat has rendered and bacon has browned on the edges, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, pepper and baking powder. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk, then whisk egg mixture into flour. Stir in Parmesan and half the chives.
• Once bacon is crisp and brown, raise heat to medium-high, and add butter, stirring until melted. Pour batter into skillet, then quickly arrange Camembert pieces on top.
• Transfer pan to the oven, and bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining chives, and serve immediately.