German Apple Pancake (Apfelpfannkuchen)

Inspired by the Original Pancake House; adapted from http://www.food.com/recipe/the-original-pancake-house-apple-pancake-291063 and http://whatscookingamerica.net/Eggs/ApplePancake.htm

Ingredients

    5 tablespoons butter
    2 apples (peeled, cored, and sliced thin)
    1 tablespoon cinnamon
    1⁄3 cup brown sugar
    1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
    1 cup flour
    1 cup milk
    1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    4 eggs


Directions

Preheat oven to 425° F. Place oven rack in the middle of your oven.

In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, flour, milk, and vanilla extract; beat until batter is smooth (the batter will be thin, but very smooth and creamy); set aside.

In a large heavy ovenproof frying pan, over medium heat, melt butter, tilting pan to cover sides. Add apples and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Stir and let cook for 5 to 7 minutes to slightly cook the apple slices; remove from heat.

Pour prepared pancake batter over the apples into the baking pan. Place pan in preheated oven and bake approximately 20 minutes or until puffed above sides of the pan and lightly browned (it may puff irregularly in the center); remove from oven.

Remove pancake from the baking pan by flipping upside down onto a serving platter (apples and cinnamon will be on top). Once out of the oven, the pancake will begin to deflate.

To serve, cut into serving-size wedges and transfer to individual serving plates. Serve with an optional dusting of powdered sugar over the top

Makes 1 large pancake of 2 to 4 servings (depending on your appetite).