French Baked Pancake
A layer of cheese custard in the center of this baked pancake plays into the French cuisine. An almost blank canvas to dress up in every season with your favorite topping. A great make ahead and one to impress your guests or loved ones on a special day.
Ingredients
Pancake Batter
- 1/2 cup Butter room temperature
- 4 tablespoons Sugar 1/4 Cup
- 3 Eggs best if room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
- 2 cups Flour We use 1 cup white/1 cup wheat
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups Milk
- 1 tablespoon topping optional - if you know your topping choice and it's already made, putting a bit in the batter
Custard Filling
- 3 cups Small curd cottage cheese or 22 oz container
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoon Butter melted
Topping - seasonal fruit compote - See additional suggestions below
- 1 can Apple Pie filling - or homemade caramelized apples
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup Sour Cream or yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- Chopped Pecans and/or Dried Cranberries for garnish
- 1 tablespoon Powdered sugar
Instructions
Pancake Batter
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Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
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Combine the 1 stick of butter and sugar in a large bowl or mixing bowl of a Kitchen Aid. Add 3 eggs, one at a time; beat well. Add vanilla and mix.
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Combine flour and baking powder. Mix flour mixture and milk alternately into butter mixture. Set aside
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**Optional: If you have your topping already prepared or are using a canned fruit filling, you can add 1 - 2 tablespoons to the above batter to distribute the the flavors.
Custard Filling
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Melt 3 tablespoons of butter. In medium bowl, slightly beat 2 remaining eggs, add salt, cottage cheese and melted butter. Mix well.
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Pour 1/2 of batter in greased pan. Spread cheese mixture over the batter in the pan. Top and spread with remaining batter. Bake for 60 mins or until golden brown.
Toppings
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While pancake is baking, mix and heat apple pie filling and syrup together in a saucepan to make a sauce. Or prepare your fruit compote.
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Mix sour cream or yogurt, vanilla, powered sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl to make a sour cream sauce.
Putting it all together - The Presentation
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Remove pancake from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes or until set. (OR, see note on reheating below.*) Cut lenghtwise down the center, then make 4 cuts across to make 10 equal rectangle pieces, remove from pan. Cut each piece into two triangles. Place one triangle on the plate and place the other triangle perpendicular on top of the first with point sticking up. Spoon fruit topping over pancakes. Drizzle sour cream mix and top with garnish
Serve with a complimenting side of your favorite breakfast meat.
Recipe Notes
*We prefer to prepare and bake ahead of time and reheat for 30 mins at 350 F just before service. This allows the cottage cheese to really set (think lasagna) AND crisps up the top and sides of the pancake giving it a unique texture.
It can be refrigerated for 3 - 4 days in the pan or cut into squares and frozen with parchment paper separating. From frozen, thaw overnight in refrigerator or defrost in microwave for 1 - 2 minutes prior to reheating.
Serves 10
Variations:
- Blueberry sauce topped w/orange zest
- Cherries topped w/almond yogurt & slivered almonds
- Peaches and Cream Sauce or Cinnamon Sugar Peaches (see photo below)
- Cranberry orange sauce with walnuts and orange zest
- Apples as in this recipes