Cranberry Orange Dutch Baby

I love pancakes. I love custard. Dutch babies are a mix between the two.
It's certainly easier to make than either one. It comes together fast, with little mess, and cooks in a hot oven for a quick 20 minutes. I like when I can use one pan all the way through. I like a quick clean up. Especially on a Sunday morning when my hard-working husband deserves a big warm breakfast.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In an oven-proof skillet (I prefer cast iron, because sometimes cast iron just makes it better, such as fried potatoes), melt butter over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add cranberries, oranges, and 5-spice.

While the cranberries are warming, mix flour, eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a blender. Blend for a minute or two. This batter loves aeration. Blend until it's frothy. The more you blend, the more it will raise while cooking.

By now, your cranberry-orange mix should be making the house smell delicious. Add your blender batter to your cranberry mixture. No need to stir, just pour it over. Pop it in the oven.

When the batter starts coming up over the top and it turns a nice golden color, it's done. This will take about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. That nice loft you saw in the oven may fall a little. This is normal.

Cool for a minute or two and cut into pie shaped wedges. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Salivate over the custard looking middle, and be patient a few seconds longer.

Plate your breakfast. Remember that simple syrup you saved from the Candied Citrus post? Warm it up with a little maple syrup, and enjoy. Quick, easy, and appetizing. If there's a big meat eater in the house, make some bacon to serve with it. My husband swears that everything is better with bacon.

• 2-3 T butter
• 10 0z package of frozen cranberries (fresh is always better, but I don't have access to them right now)
• 6-8 candies orange slices, or the zest of one orange
• 1/2 teaspoon Five Spice
• 3/4 c flour
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 c milk
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/4 salt
• Powdered sugar
• maple syrup