Going Dutch For Breakfast

Me and my family are big fans of breakfast, and I have to say that breakfast is a staple for dinner in our household (refer back to my breakfast burritos post).  Now for breakfast I traffic in the usual suspects....eggs, bacon, hash browns, pancakes, waffles.....you get the picture. 

This time however I wanted to try something a little different (shocker), and wouldn't you know it once again fate delivered my inspiration for this post.  The story is that I was looking on the web for recipes that featured Panettone, which is an Italian bread that is usually served around Christmas, and amongst the list of websites featuring Panettone a curious word flickered across the screen, Pannekoek (pah-nuh-cook).  I had never heard of this dish, so of course I was curious.  In summary Pannekoek is a dutch pancake, which can be either savory or sweet and are made with WAY more eggs that your traditional pancake.  I think they taste kinda like a thick crepe, which of course makes them delicious, and when you bake them they puff up into this impressive mass, and then rapidly deflate when taken out of the oven, like a giant sigh after a tough day.  So after serious deliberation I decided to do a sweet variety of Pannekoek and when my husband asked what I was making for dinner and I replied "Pannekoek" he gave me a look like I had gone to the loony bin.  Although I have to say that the look he gave me after he tasted it was a little different.  A dutch breakfast for dinner is awfully tasty!

Baked Pear Pannekoek With
Pear Brandy Maple Syrup

Estimated Cook Time: 45 minutes

Pancake:
1/2 cup butter melted
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
4 eggs
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 medium Bartlett pears peeled and sliced
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Syrup:

1-1/2 cups grade A pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/4 cup pear brandy

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (204 degrees Celsius).  In a large bowl combine the flour, milk, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, orange zest and granulated sugar.  Beat batter until most of the lumps are gone.  Pour the melted butter in a 14 inch non-stick skillet and pour the batter over the butter. 

Arrange the sliced pears in the batter and sprinkle the brown sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon over the pears.  Place the skillet in the middle of the preheated oven and bake until the pancake is very puffed up and the batter is set, about 30-35 minutes. 

While the pancake is cooking combine the syrup, cinnamon, orange zest and brandy in a small saucepan and heat over medium low heat just until the flavors combine.  Set the syrup aside.  When the pancake is ready remove from the oven and light dust the pancake with the powdered sugar.  Slice the pancake and serve with the brandied syrup........of course a side of sausages doesn't hurt!

Pear Meets........Meat

So, I have had prosciutto wrapped around yummy melon many times, and seen it blogged about endlessly. While this delicacy is again another culinary treat given to us by my peeps (if you hadn't already  guessed....Italians) I wanted to change it up a bit..........
Now, in my previous post I mentioned that there would be apple and pear slaughter commencing soon, and this thought inspired this post.  Why not slaughter a pear in the name of prosciutto?  Understand this, I can think of a lot of reasons to murder for prosciutto, but this seemed very fitting given the time of year.  I also remembered that I had some fig infused balsamic syrup in my fridge that might be delicious with it, and with that, a fruit gave its life for meat :)

Pears and Prosciutto with Fig Infused Balsamic Syrup

Fig Infused Balsamic Syrup:

2 cups figs chopped

2 cups balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

2 Bartlett pears sliced

4 slices prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise

Combine all ingredients and heat over medium low heat until the balsamic vinegar is reduced and thickened, about 30-45 minutes.  Strain through a fine sieve to remove the chunks of fig and cool.  Refrigerate until use.

Now this syrup is great for drizzling on fruit or cheese, or using as a base for dressings.  My husband loves it with a little olive oil as a dipping sauce for bread.

To prep the pears just just wrap the slices in the prosciutto and then drizzle with the syrup, and you're done.  This would be good as an appetizer or as part of an antipasto plate, and I truly think that this recipe calls for one thing....... murdering all the pears you can get your hands on!