Ali Cooks: Hootenanny

What the heck is a hootenanny?

I'm not really sure how to describe it...  It probably has some other name, but the particular blog I snatched the recipe from called it a hootenanny, so of course that's what I told Brian was for dinner.  (Surprisingly he didn't ask too many questions--dare I say he is beginning to trust that I'll make him yummy food without sneaking in crazy ingredients?!)

I did tell him it's supposed to be like French Toast and a pancake put together.  While it was baking, he peeked in the oven but couldn't see the lower rack, so he just paced around the buttery-smelling apartment and waited for the last few minutes of baking to be completed.

But--when I pulled it out, he had quite the surprise!  The hootenanny puffs up in whichever places it wants and looks kinda crazy!  Brian looked a little skeptical at first, but he took a big bite, happily stated that he liked it, and then reached for the syrup.  A few minutes later he was up and getting himself more, so I think it was a success.

I enjoyed my hootenanny without all the syrup; it was interesting because it was fluffy but not sugary like a pancake.  Beware though--it tests VERY buttery!  Half a cup of butter goes into the hootenanny, so that may be some of the magic behind it's deliciousness!

Hootenanny

*adapted from bunsinmyoven.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (or one Crisco stick, which is what I had in my cupboard)
6 eggs
1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Place the stick of butter in a 9x13 baking dish and put it in the oven to melt while you prepare the batter.  (Check on it periodically so that you don't have smoking butter toward the end.)
Beat the eggs, milk, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg until frothy.  Whisk in the flour until well combined.

Pour the batter over the melted butter in the baking dish.  Do not stir.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the center is set and the edges are browned and curled.
 

 

Serve with maple syrup (as Brian prefers) or plain (as I prefer). 

 You may even experiment with powdered sugar, whipped cream, or fresh fruit!