Whole-Grain Caramel Apple Oven Pancake
3/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium sweet, crisp apples, such as Honeycrisp (about 1 pound), peeled, cored, quartered and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting, optional
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Blend the milk and eggs in a blender until thoroughly mixed. Add the flour, vanilla, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and lemon zest and blend again until combined, scraping down the sides if necessary, about 15 seconds. Cover the blender jar and refrigerate while cooking the apples.
Melt the butter in a 10-inch nonstick oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and sprinkle them with the granulated sugar. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the apples, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and softened, 20 to 25 minutes. Arrange the apples evenly in the skillet. Remix the batter to reincorporate the ingredients, then pour it over the apples.
Bake the pancake until it is browned and set in the center and the sides have risen about 1 1/2 inches, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve directly from the skillet or use a large spatula to transfer the pancake to a plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
4 servings