Pining for Saturday morning...

I don't normally suggest posting pictures of food. Matt's begun pointing out that TV commercials do a great disservice to the food they are trying to market by showing pictures of said food. Really, nothing is more disgusting than a close up of a burger, served rare. Well, nothing except someone eating that burger.

Shudder.

One of my favorite bloggers, Catherine Newman, (who I apparently feel the need to reference at least once a month) recently started a food blog. It's clever and witty and manageable, and involves kids and stuff like that. She prepares real pot roast, salted chickpea snacks and wrangles beets into a lovely borscht. Back in January, she posted an entry for a puffed pancake.

If you read my Minnesota post back in February, then you know how much puffed oven pancakes mean to me. I love them. I delight in them. They are a feast and accomplishment in and of themselves. They're like little souffles that manage to succeed each time. On the rare Saturdays that the boys can contain themselves the 25 minutes it takes for one to bake, we opt for pannekoeken instead of pancakes. We take a few simple ingredients, and pour them over melted butter and sliced apples, coated in brown sugar. Then, we wait.

As the timer beeps, the boys will shout from their supine couch-inhabiting selves, "PANNEKOEKEN!!!!!!!" and race to the kitchen to watch as it is pulled, puffed and heavenly, from the oven.

It deflates slowly, leaving a delicious, apple-y pattern on the surface. Tiny eyes peer over the countertop as it is sliced into wedges and served on their favorite plates.

We forego maple syrup, and crunch on the buttery brown sugar crisps.

The sun shines. "Thomas the Tank Engine" plays softly in the background, a ritual soundtrack to our slow, Saturday mornings. For several minutes, it is quiet and we feast.

Flemming Family Recipe for Pannekoeken

1/2 stick organic butter
1 1/2 c. flour
1 apple, peeled & sliced thin
Cinnamon & brown sugar mixture
1 1/2 c. milk
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place small, circular pan and cold butter in oven while pre-heating, so as to melt the butter. Remove before butter browns, and tilt to cover the sides. Arrange apple slices on the bottom and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar crumbles. Mix flour, milk, eggs and vanilla together and pour into the pan on top of the apples. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Pannekoeken will puff up in the oven and deflate rapidly when serving. Pass the syrup, and sausage for an easy supper.