Paleo Dutch Baby with Star Anise Cherry Compote

I'm sure by now you know that I love Instagram. Well, I do, and I'm not ashamed, and I'll tell you why. I love that in the gluten-free and paleo community there are lots of food instagramers. I know that there are some people that get annoyed with people who take pictures of everything they eat, and to each their own, I suppose. If you are one of those people, I suggest you don't follow me, because my pics are primarily of food. But if you are here, I'm guessing you don't mind pictures of food, and you appreciate that food can be works of art. I'm inspired by paleo food instagramers because they not only give me ideas for what to eat, but they also give me ideas for how to food-style the dishes I create. I'm still learning, but instagram also gives me the opportunity to practice, and as it is with any endeavor, practice makes perfect. Well, at least practice makes progress. And that leads me to today's recipe.

I follow this lovely photographer, Erin Kortum, who's Instagram username is ekortum . She is a professional photographer in Southern California, and she is also a crossfitter and paleo eater. Go check out her website where she blogs paleo recipes, and also different aspects about her life through her beautiful photography. A few days ago, she instagramed a few GORGEOUS pictures of a Paleo Dutch Baby that she served with a fresh Strawberry Mango Sauce. A "Dutch Baby" is really just an egg-heavy pancake that is baked in the oven. I immediately "liked' her pictures and asked for a recipe. She replied back and said that she just kind of threw it together, but gave me an approximate recipe, which I proceeded to make the next morning. It was very tasty, and since I didn't have any strawberries or mangoes, I made a quick cherry sauce flavored with Star Anise and cinnamon. I made it again this morning, and adjusted the recipe with a few tweaks, including separating the eggs and whipping the whites, hoping for a fluffier end result without having to add any baking soda. The pancake didn't rise as much while it was in the oven, but it was fluffier when served, and also had a delicious crunchy and buttery crust. I hope you enjoy this, and I also hope you go follow Erin on Instagram and check out her beautiful site.

Paleo Dutch Baby

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons of desired Paleo Fat ( I used 1 Tbsp of Lard, 1 Tbsp of Grass Fed Butter, and 1 Tbsp of Coconut Oil)
4 eggs, separated (preferably pastured eggs)
2 Tablespoons of Organic Maple Syrup
1/2 cup of Coconut Milk ( I used one that is unsweetened, canned, and BPA free)
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg
2 Tablespoons of Coconut Flour
3 Tablespoons of Arrowroot Starch
1 Tablespoon of melted Grass Fed Butter

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 425. Add your 3 tablespoons of desired fat to a cast iron skillet (8-10 inches will work just fine) and place it in the oven while it's preheating to heat up the skillet, and also to melt the fat.
• Whisk together the egg yolks, maple syrup, coconut milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
• Sift together the coconut flour and arrowroot starch, and add to your wet ingredients.
• Mix in the melted butter and pinch of salt, and set aside to thicken while you whip your egg whites.
• Whip your reserved egg whites with either a stand mixer or hand mixer until soft peaks form. 
• Now you are going to fold in the egg whites to the rest of the batter. I always take a large spoonful of the whipped egg whites and mix it in to the batter first. Yes, this spoonful will deflate, but you are sacrificing this spoonful to make the batter just a bit lighter and easier to fold in the rest of the egg whites. After you've mixed in your 'sacrificial' spoonful, slowly fold in the rest of the whites with a rubber spatula, trying your best to not over mix and deflate the egg whites. 
• By this time your oven should have preheated. Remove the hot cast iron skillet (wearing an oven mitt of course!) and pour the batter into the hot melted fat.
• Bake for 20-22 minutes, and in the mean time, make your cherry compote. 

Star Anise Cherry Compote

Ingredients:

2 cups of fresh cherries, pitted
1 tablespoon of Maple Sugar
1 tablespoon of dark, raw honey**
2 Star Anise Pods
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/8 cup of purified water
1 pat of grassfed butter (optional, this just makes the sauce a bit richer)

** Recently I bought some Winter Wildflower raw honey at a farmer's market in Orlando. It has a VERY dark color, and earthy flavor that is similar to molasses. If you can't find this kind of honey, substitute with 2 teaspoons of regular honey and 1 teaspoon of molasses to achieve a similar flavor profile. **

Directions:

• Combine all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed sauce pan (I used my newest 4 1/4 QT Le Creuset Soup Pot in Casis - thanks mom for the great birthday present!) and simmer over medium high heat. 
• Use a potato masher occasionally to mash up the cherries and release their juices.
• Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the Dutch baby is ready. Make sure to remove the Star Anise pods before serving. Any leftovers can be stored in a mason jars for up to a week. 

This sauce was delicious on my oven pancake, but would also be wonderful on regular paleo pancakes, waffles, or biscuits. I bet it would be absolutely wonderful on the Paleo Homestyle Biscuits made with Lard in the new book "Beyond Bacon." In case you didn't know, its just about to be released and you can pre-order it now on Amazon. Check out my full review of it here.

Also, Happy Father's Day to all the great dads out there, including mine. A year ago today, my then boyfriend went over to my parents house (unbeknownst to me) and asked my dad if he could marry me. My wonderful dad said yes, and has treated Ian like a son ever since, and I am truly grateful. I'm also pretty fortunate to be gaining another awesome dad by marriage. I love you both, and I hope you have a wonderful day, even though I can't be with you. You are both such kind, generous, and smart men, and Ian and I are both very lucky to have you on our team. :)