Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake

This Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake with Lavender Syrup bakes up into an oversized puffy pancake. It boasts a zesty hit of lemon alongside the nutty crunch of poppy seeds and a lightly sweet drizzle of floral scented lavender lemon syrup.

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• This Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake with Lavender Syrup is a sunny & colorful brunch
• What is a German Pancake?
• More puffy oven pancake recipes to try
• 9 Ingredients
• How to make Lemon Lavender Syrup
• Tips for making a mile-high German Pancake
• Recipe
• Recipe
• Comments

I've always had a soft spot for soft colors. Once in a college art class I painted a whole series of eyes in pale pastels. During a class critique my instructor responded with "I despise pastels but I am so drawn to these. I hate that I like this." I wasn't sure how to take that comment. My pale pink cheeks quickly turned beet red in front of a roomful of my classmates.

Since then I've had a cyclical relationship with pastels. Some years I dress in all things blush. Then I'll randomly go through an emo all black everything phase. I'm not sure what causes the color shift. Maybe its trends, seasons and possibly a dash of self consciousness.

This Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake with Lavender Syrup is a sunny & colorful brunch

Our relationship with colors can be strange but the sunny warm yellow of this Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake with Lavender Syrup is a color that always shines bright. My little sister once had a nightmare about an olive green vintage bowl of my Mom's and honest to God buried it in the backyard the because it haunted her every time she saw it in the cupboard. She only recently fessed up to the dramatic burial ceremony. Such a visceral reaction to color.

Color psychology has always fascinated me

I believe color memories are as strong and distinct as smell or taste memories. A particular shade of a color has the power to instantly transport you back to another time or place. At 18, my first apartment was heavily decorated in lilacs and lavenders. Everything from the duvet, pillows, curtains, string lights, towels, flower wall hooks, my cordless phone, yes, I'm that old.

I may have overdone it and required a long hiatus from the lilac tones, but in recent years I've rediscovered my love for lavender through food and photography. The soft tones photograph beautifully and set off memories of my first apartment, the lavender bushes outside of our house in Portland and the sweet kiss of a lavender infused Bees Knees cocktail on a hot summer night years ago. Ahh, color memories. Now I find myself swooning hard over the Provence color line by Le Creuset.

This Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake with Lavender Syrup radiates with both color and flavor

The lemony German Pancake glows with sunny bright citrus. Just looking at it, you can feel the sunny flavors. That light lemon tone pairs gorgeously with the Le Creueset Provence toned line. A match made in heaven, inspired by the the lavender fields of Southern France.

Lemon and lavender just belong together. This Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake with Lemon Lavender Syrup combines flavor, color and texture in a light and lovely pancake that isn't overtly sweet. But it is unequivocally sweet on the eyes.

The fluffy pancake is eggy in a good way. Almost like a cross between a crepe and an omelette with a zesty nip of lemon and the slightly nutty crunch of the poppy seeds. The pancake puffs up while it bakes and comes out with golden, lacy edges. The whole deal gets sweetened when the Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake is sprinkled with powdered sugar and drizzled with the homemade lavender lemon syrup.

What is a German Pancake?

Known as everything from German Pancakes to Dutch Babies, Hootenanny Pancakes, Oven Pancakes or simply Puffed Pancakes, these easy puffy pancakes are all essentially the same thing. Unlike traditional stovetop pancakes, German Pancakes puff up high when baked in a hot oven.

German Pancakes or Dutch Babies are made with a batter that looks more like crepe batter than pancake batter. They start with a basic base of eggs, milk and flour. The egg and milk ratio to flour ratio is much higher in German Pancakes, creating a runnier crepe style batter.

All of those eggs combined with a hot pan an hot oven give German Pancakes their signature puffy persona. The hot Le Creuset skillet and eggy pancake batter both play into the height this Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake with Lavender Syrup achieves.

More puffy oven pancake recipes to try

9 Ingredients

While this Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake with Lemon Lavender Syrup is a pretty basic style of German Pancake, it does have some special ingredients. Nothing outlandish, just a few simple elements that give it life.

• 3 large eggs give this pancake it's eggy texture and help give it rise in the oven.
• ½ cup whole milk hydrates and helps create the runny, crepe-like batter.
• 1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract give the pancake a balance in flavor. I am partial to the combo of almond with poppy seeds but vanilla works great too!
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds stud the German Pancake with a festive sprinkle of softy nuttiness.
• ½ cup all purpose flour is just enough to give the German Pancake batter body.
• 1 lemon gets zested and juiced, adding 2 layers of citrusy sunshine to the pancake.
• ¼ teaspoon salt because you always need a pinch of salt for balance.
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar are sprinkled over the baked Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake to add a kiss of sweetness.
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter is melted in the ripping hot skillet, then the batter is poured over the top of the melted butter. The butter keeps the pancake from sticking and blends into the batter just enough to flavor it.

How to make Lemon Lavender Syrup

Making the Lemon Lavender Syrup is simple. You are essentially just making a simple syrup and infusing it with fresh lemon and food grade lavender. While the syrup isn't completely necessary, it does add a beautiful floral essence and makes the Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake feel extra elegant.

1. In a small saucepan bring water and lavender buds to a gentle boil then add the sugar and lower to a simmer.
2. Add the lemon peel to the simmering pot and simmer for another 10 minutes. Then add the juice from the lemon, remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Once cooled, strain they and store in a glass container in the refrigerator. Alternatively, pour the unstrained mixture into a glass container and chill in the refrigerator up to 2 days for a more concentrated color and flavor. Strain before using.

You will likely have extra syrup leftover. The good news is, it will last in the fridge for at least a week, if not longer. Might I suggest having friends up for brunch and baking up this Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake again! Or use the Lemon Lavender Syrup to flavor cocktails or lemonade. It tastes especially lovely when paired with gin, FYI.

Tips for making a mile-high German Pancake

There are a few simple tricks to achieving impressive heights when baking German Pancakes. Once you know these simple tips, you'll find yourself baking puffy pancakes in favor of flipping flapjacks. They are just so much easier and watching them rise is a real occasion.

• Whizz it up! By blending the German Pancake ingredients together in a blender until frothy, you are sort of aerating the batter. All of those little air pockets created, helps give the pancake loft when baking.
• Let it rest. Allowing the batter to rest after blending lets the ingredients mingle and settle together. This too helps with the rise.
• Let it rip. While the oven preheats, you will also preheat the skillet. Getting that skillet ripping hot first, sets a high rise tone for the batter. When the rested and aerated room temperature pancake batter hits that ripping hot skillet, it will instantly start to puff up and rise towards the sky!

One of the best things about this Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake with Lavender Syrup is how easy it is to make

Just whizz it together and let is rip and rise in that hot skillet in th oven. No flipping or babysitting required. However, you may want to keep a watch on the rise in the oven since that puff is a dramatic sight to be seen!

If the flavors and colors of this Lemon Poppy Seed German Pancake with Lavender Syrup don't already stir up some memories for you, you're bound to make some delicious new memories with this recipe. The joy of watching the pancake puff up in the oven and the sweetly satisfying moment of sharing a skillet full of spring with someone you love is an experience I want for everyone.

This post was made in partnership with Le Creuset and The Feedfeed.

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