If I'm being honest, pancakes are not my thing. I'll take savory over sweet any day of the week. This body was built by bacon, not hot cakes. That's not to say that I won't indulge in a plate of these fluffy delights if they happened to appear in front of me. Afterall, I am human.
Buttery Bros Wake n' Cake Similar to Après Ski
Lately, I've even been making my own pancakes. Binge watching The Buttery Bros YouTube channel while under quarantine has inspired me. These former CrossFit employees, now going at it on their own, are taking the fitness world by storm. Their wild antics got me hooked on the show but it's their Wake n' Cake mantra that has me whipping up pancakes in my house every Saturday. And to top it all off, as residents of Salt Lake City, Heber Cannon and Marston Sawyer are no strangers to the slopes.
Inspiration can really come from anywhere and this apres ski recipe combines my passion for fitness and love of apres everything. If you think about it, that's exactly what the Buttery Bros are doing when they crush a CrossFit wod and then hit up a local pancakery for some post workout nourishment. It's really no different than celebrating a day of skiing and snowboarding with your friends over a few beers and a pizza. Or, in this case, my rif on an Austrian Pancake.
The Austrian Pancake: An Over-the-Top Après Ski Treat
Après ski is always a good time wherever you are but Austrian ski resorts are definitely at the top of the game. Jump on any top apres ski bars list and you are sure to find a few from Austria on each one. What are they serving? Outside of the obvious, beer, they are also known for their over-the-top pancake.
A couple of inches thick and about the size of a pizza this monster cake is the carb-laden replenishment you and your friends are looking for. Top it with ice cream and it's dessert. Smother it in apples and it's a healthy breakfast. Okay, maybe it's not healthy. But that shouldn't stop you from eating it in the morning. My wife and I did last week after earning it by crushing a brutal CrossFit wod.
Now it's your turn. Give this bad boy pancake and it's secret ingredient a try (hint: it's ricotta) and let me know what you think in the comments section below.
How to Make Our Version of the Austrian Pancake
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1 cup of granulated sugar, divided
A dusting of powdered sugar
2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick-slices
2 tsp of fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp of kosher salt, divided
5 egg yolks
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup of ricotta cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup of AP flour
8 large egg whites
Step by step instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium skillet combine butter and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Stir constantly until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Then add the apples, 1/4 tsp of salt and lemon juice. Lower the heat and cook until apples are cooked through and tender. When finished, remove the apples from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate. Reserve syrup from the pan to drizzle over the pancake when serving.
- In a large bowl whisk together egg yolks and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Then whisk in cream cheese and ricotta. Whisk in flour and remaining salt until mixture is completely smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl, using a hand mixer beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. Then working in 2-3 batches, carefully fold the egg whites into the batter mixture.
- Using butter, grease the bottom and sides of a large cast iron skillet. Sprinkle a dusting of granulated sugar on top of the butter, then lay out the apples to form a layer on the bottom of the pan. Top with the batter. Bake in the preheated over for roughly 30 minutes until golden brown. If the top starts to brown too early tent with aluminum foil for the remainder of the baking process.
- Top with a dusting of powdered sugar, apple syrup mixture and, if you want to get a little crazy, a scoop of ice cream. Serve and enjoy!
