Baked Pancake – The Settlement Cookbook

Today I wanted a special Sunday morning indulgence. I decided on a baked pancake, powder sugar, fruit compote and whipped cream. Fried egg of the side and a cappuccino. After I baked and ate, I remembered that my sister Deb (aka to me as Debbie) recently posted about my mom’s cookbooks on her blog, https://whoweareandhowwegotthisway.com/. The full URL to the post is https://whoweareandhowwegotthisway.com/2020/05/15/day-15-the-food-of-our-family-part-5-cookbooks/.

I always thought my Settlement Cookbook and my mom’s were the same. She gave me mine. I thought is was a duplicate. Only today have I discovered that they are different. Hers is the one covered in Blue Onion-like contact paper. It is from 1954 and titled, The Revised and Enlarged Edition of the New Settlement Cook Book: Originally compiled by Mrs. Simon Kander.

The 3-page preface is about how the book came to be written. There was a Milwaukee committee, The Settlement, at the time of “vast migrations from Europe” at the end of the 19th century that taught the immigrants English, sewing , cleaning and cooking. Most of the students were high school age and attended theses activities after hours. I recommend reading the entire preface.

My cookbook is The Settlement Cookbook. My 1976 edition is the third edition. However, I only see a 1965 additional edition listed. The copyright does reference the 1901-1954 previous editions. The Way to a Man’s Heart tagline and logo were reduced in size and placed on the title page.

I do not see a credit to Mrs. Simon Kander. My edition is also newly revised. There is a 3-page preface. It explains that the lessons were conducted in a neighborhood house called The Settlement. Mrs. Kander is credited here.

I appreciate that the 1954 edition includes weights and approximate measures and terms on the inside binding at the front of the book. My edition includes substitutions. Throughout COVID-19, I have depended upon Internet substitution articles and recipes for common condiments. I recently needed an equivalent for heavy cream – think for pain au chocolat (chocolate croissant). Spoiler alert – you need to add butter fat (butter).

My cookbook has the baked pancake recipe and the German pancake recipe. Mom’s only has the eggier German recipe. As I recall, the German version puffs up higher but then falls. The Baked Pancake recipe is below.

2 eggs
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt ( I used regular, iodized)
1 cup milk
2 TB butter (the recipe says shortening)
Serve with confectioner’s sugar (the book suggest lemon slices or juice)

Place an iron skillet in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425-degrees F while combining the eggs, salt and milk. Then gradually whisk in the milk to prevent lumps. Place butter in the skillet to melt and tilt to cover the bottom of the pan just before pouring in the batter. Bake 15 minutes then lower the heat to 325-degrees until the pancake is brown. I also watch to ensure that the pancake has puffed up. If I am serving the whole pancake on the table, I place it on the serving platter up-side-down before shifting powder sugar in it. You may also serve it with maple syrup (real). The recipe makes 4 servings.