Gluten Free German Apple Pancake

German Apple Pancakes...mmmm. Pre-celiac diagnosis we would make these luscious and sweet pancakes for breakfast on a lazy Sunday morning. Since being diagnosed Celiac, we had sort of put the entire cook book (America’s Test Kitchen – Family Cookbook) which was previously a favourite in our house, in the back and avoided it.

This cookbook is not a gluten free cookbook by any means.  However the varieties of foods that are presented in this particular book are fantastic. Many do require ingredients that are not gluten free friendly, but once you learn which ingredients are replaceable and with which other product, it makes cooking a lot easier and more enjoyable.

Today I figured; why not give it a try using gluten free flour instead of regular flour. Low and behold...

German Apple Pancake

It was amazing!

The only real differences between the so-called “regular” recipe and the gluten free recipe version were that I had to add some Xanthan gum to the recipe (as per the directions on the gluten free flour).

German Apple Pancake (courtesy of The American’s Test Kitchen – Family Cookbook)

Serves 4 (or 2 very hungry people)

• ½ cup of all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten free flour and added in 1/8 tsp of Xanthan gum)
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup of half and half
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 large granny smith apples; peeled, cored, quartered and sliced ½ inch thick (other apples will work ,
• but you may need more because of the density of granny smiths)
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

1. Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 500F degrees. Whisk together the flour (Xanthan gum), granulated sugar and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and half, and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until no lumps remain.
2. Melt the butter in a 10-inch ovenproof non-stick skillet (or cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon and cook until the apples are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Off the heat stir in the lemon juice.
3. Quickly pour the batter around the edges of the skillet, the over the apples. Place the skillet in the over and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 425F degrees. Bake until the pancake has risen above the edges of the skillet and it brown. Loosen the edges of the pancake from the hot skillet with a spatula and turn the pancake upside down on a plate or serving platter. Dust the confectioner’s sugar, and cut into wedges before serving.

NOTE It is important to remember to reduce the heat of the oven or else the pancake will burn for sure. I’ve forgotten to do it and it’s a mess to clean up.

Gluten Free Edmonton - A Celiac guide and resource for gluten free information in Edmonton, Alberta