Recipe of the week

It’s called a Dutch baby, but don’t ask me why, said Bonnie Benwick in The Washington Post. The thing to know is that this old-school pancake is “easy but spectacular,” an “eggy crater the size of a dinner plate,” with “an aroma the Pied Piper only wishes he could deploy.” Once you’ve mastered the sweet kind, experiment with savory versions—topped with cheese or loaded with vegetables

3 tbsp unsalted butter • 3 large eggs at room temperature • ¾ cup flour • ¾ cup whole milk • granulated sugar • ½ tsp kosher salt • ½ tsp vanilla extract • 1 cup frozen cherries, preferably tart • optional toppings: confectioners’ sugar, plain Greek yogurt, granola, maple syrup, toasted slivered almonds

• Preheat oven to 425. Divide butter between two 8-inch ovenproof skillets; transfer to oven. Watch butter closely so it melts but doesn’t brown. Beat eggs in a blender on medium-high for 5 seconds until frothy. Add flour, milk, 1 to 2 tbsp sugar, salt, and vanilla. Blend on low to incorporate, then on medium-high. • Remove hot pans from oven, swirling melted butter to coat sides. Quickly pour in batter, divided evenly; bake pancakes

on middle rack until puffed and golden brown at edges, 13 to 15 minutes. Turn off oven; let pancakes sit inside for 5 minutes. • Combine cherries and 1 heaping tbsp sugar in a saucepan; cook over low heat about 10 minutes, until juices coat the back of a spoon. Using a thin spatula, dislodge Dutch babies from pans; they should slide out. Cut into halves or wedges. Fill each portion with cherries and pass other toppings. Serves 4 to 6.