Puff babies and dutch babies are interchangeable. The more common name is a Dutch Baby but my family affectionally refers to it as a Puff Baby. Regardless, these babies are amazing.
A classic puff baby, Puff Babies (Dutch Babies), was the very first thing I ever learned how to cook. I’d sit on the counter, my little legs dangling over the edge, as I watched one of my parents stir the ingredients together. The recipe was easy to follow:
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
You put that in a cast iron skillet or pie pan with 2 tbsp. of melted butter and wait for it to puff. All of my family members topped their puff babies (we each have our own) with different things but my favorite, to this day, is powdered sugar. I love sprinkling it in the little pools of butter that form and watching the powered sugar lumps dissolve.
I’m always hesitant to mess with a good thing, but when something as good as a puff baby exists, it just begs to be revisited. So in my 2019 new year’s resolution to test more savory bakes, an herb and cheese puff baby was inevitable. It was so good in fact, I remade another the same day. And another the same week. And so on. At no point, did it actually make it to a plate, as it was bombarded directly from the pan by forks and knives.
In my experimentation, I realized that my preferred taste was for the recipe below. However, it has less volume than the original so you sacrifice a bit of that gorgeous exterior puff. If the puff experience is really critical to you, then add 2 more eggs (for a total of 4 eggs and increase to 2/3 cup each of flour and milk). The reason I reduced the egg and others a bit was because the true puff baby flavor was replaced with an egg-y omelette flavor instead. Which, when the time is right, is just what I’m looking for. But as a dutch baby, I like that more pancake/carb aspect that it offers, hence my decrease the egg. Just want to give you guys both options. You can see the pictures and how they differ. Whatever you choose, you’ll be greeted by a cheese-y, herb-y, deliciously savory puff baby experience. It’s great as an appetizer, brunch, even weeknight dinner.
Happy baking, and even happier eating! 🙂
4 egg option on the left. 2 egg option on the right. See how the option on the right has less volume? Tastes less egg-y though. 🙂
A Bee Bakes 
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