Elephant Ear Dutch Baby Recipes

CINNAMON ELEPHANT EARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and kosher salt and pour it over a flat surface such as a wooden board or marble slab. Unfold the sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar mixture.
• Combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and the cinnamon and spread it evenly on the puff pastry. This is not about sprinkling, it's about an even covering of sugar. With a rolling pin, lightly roll the dough until it's a 13-inch square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom. Fold the sides of the square toward the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold one half over the other half as though closing a book. You will have 6 layers. Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Bake the cookies for 6 minutes, or until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized on the other side. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.

ELEPHANT EARS

Steps:

• Heat milk with butter until butter melts.
• Set aside to cool to lukewarm.
• Stir yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar into warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl, combine milk and yeast mixtures with 2 1/2 cups flour, salt, and nutmeg.
• Stir until smooth.
• Cover and let stand until bubbly, 30 minutes.
• Stir in beaten eggs, then add additional flour to make a soft but not sticky dough.
• Turn dough onto a floured board and knead until smooth, supple, and elastic, about 8 minutes.
• Return dough to bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until dough is doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down and divide into 4 pieces.
• Divide each piece into 4 or 5 pieces.
• Put several inches of oil in a large, deep pan such as a chicken fryer or heavy dutch oven.
• Heat to about 360 degrees F.
• Work each ball of dough with the hands, shaping into a large disk, about 10 inches long and 6 inches wide.
• Fry one at a time, turning once, until nicely browned.
• Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar or cinnamon sugar while hot.
• Serve at once.

BAKED ELEPHANT EARS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir milk and egg yolk into yeast mixture; add to flour mixture, stirring to form a stiff dough (dough will be sticky). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours., Preheat oven to 375°. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface; roll dough into an 18x10-in. rectangle. Spread with softened butter to within 1/4 in. of edges. Mix sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over butter. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut crosswise into 24 slices. Cover slices with plastic wrap until ready to flatten., In a small bowl, mix ingredients for cinnamon sugar. Place a 6-in.-square piece of waxed paper on a work surface; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon sugar. Top with 1 slice of dough; sprinkle dough with an additional 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon sugar. Roll dough to a 4-in. circle. Using waxed paper, flip dough onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining ingredients, placing slices 2 in. apart. Bake 7-9 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

ELEPHANT EARS

Steps:

• In small saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar and shortening. Heat until shortening melts and sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to lukewarm, 110 degrees F (43 degrees C). Sprinkle in yeast and let sit until foamy.
• Transfer mixture to large bowl, and stir in flour to make a dough. Knead until smooth, cover and let rise 30 minutes.
• In a large heavy skillet or deep fryer, heat 1 inch of oil to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Roll out 1 to 2 inch balls of dough into thin sheets. Fry sheets 1 to 2 minutes on a side, until puffed and golden. Drain on paper towels.
• Combine cinnamon and 6 tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle over warm pastries. Serve.

"ELEPHANT EAR" DUTCH BABY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425. Mix the eggs, flour and milk in a blender on medium speed until just blended. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Pour the batter into the skillet over the melted butter.
• Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the top is puffy and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.
• Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. When the dutch baby is done, spread the butter over it with a pastry brush. Then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. You can cut the dutch baby into equal servings, but in our family, we like to put the whole thing on a large plate and just tear pieces off (again like an elephant ear!) :-).