The Juliana is simply the best blueberry pancake bar none that you will ever eat. Not quite a Dutch baby; it doesn’t poof up and then sink. This no-fuss, no-flip skillet-to-oven pancake requires no syrup or other additions. The powdered sugar is for presentation but is not necessary for taste. It’s all there in one pan. Ultimate deliciousness! The Juliana has gone through many iterations to achieve this level of blueberry perfection.

I absolutely love breakfast food for dinner. However, unless I have a full day of hiking ahead of me, I just find most brunch foods too heavy for me to start the day with. But at dinner, I actually almost feel virtuous eating this fruit-forward pancake. And it is so satisfying at every level for me that I never crave any dessert or anything else after eating it. My husband, Andrew, developed this over many months of trial. The recipe began with an Apple Dutch Baby that morphed into this spectacular recipe. My only problem is getting him to stop tinkering with it! Although I do admit that the addition of jaggery in place of granulated sugar in the batter, did take it up a notch. But even without it, this pancake is better than any blueberry pancake or Dutch Baby you will ever eat.

I’m not prone to exaggeration or hyperbole in my posts. Therefore, when I gush about The Juliana (named for our first grandchild) you know it is truly something special. Andrew has successfully made this with strawberries and apples although with a few slight differences, especially since the fruit all cooks differently. The resulting “pancake” is wonderfully spongy, light and fluffy. It is perfect for absorbing all the fruity deliciousness below. And as I mentioned in another post, blueberries have been just wonderful this year. They not only are large and visually attractive but they are firm and very flavorful. They also happen to be our Juliana’s favorite fruit – at least for now. Give this a try. I promise that you won’t be disappointed.

Recipe

Yield: 2 to 4 servings (it should be 4 servings, but if I am honest, my husband and I eat the whole thing ourselves for dinner!)

Ingredients

  For the blueberry filling

    1/3 cup granulated sugar

    Zest of 1 medium lemon

    1 box (18 oz.) of blueberries, rinsed, drained and patted dry

    3 tbsp unsalted butter

  For the batter

    1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour

    1 tsp baking powder

    1/8 tsp baking soda

    1 tbsp granulated sugar (or 1 tbsp jaggery)

    ½ tsp kosher salt

    ½ tsp ground cardamom

    4 large eggs

    1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup plain kefir)

    1 tsp vanilla extract

  For serving (optional, but recommended) Sifted confectioner’s or icing sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F with the rack in the center

Blueberry filling

Place 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Finely grate the zest of 1 medium lemon onto the sugar. Stir the zest and sugar together; or, rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until fully combined and gritty. If no one is watching, then by all means, lick your fingers. Take out 2 tablespoons of the lemon sugar to use later.

Add the blueberries to the bowl and toss to combine. Reserve ½ cup of the sugared blueberries to mix into the batter later.

Batter

1. Place 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/8 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp granulated sugar (or 1 tbsp jaggery), ½ tsp kosher salt, and ½ tsp ground cardamom in a bowl and whisk to combine.

2. In a different bowl add 4 large eggs and whisk until frothy. Add 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup plain kefir) and 1 tsp vanilla extract and whisk to combine.

3. Gently add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring the batter just enough to get everything moist, then gently stir in the reserved ½ cup of sugared blueberries, trying not to break them up.

4. Put a 9” cast iron skillet on the stove on medium heat. Cut 3 tbsp of unsalted butter into 3 pieces and put them into the skillet. Just melt the butter, do not brown it. Immediately add the sugared blueberries, then sprinkle the reserved lemon sugar mixture on top.

5. Pour the batter all over the berries. Place the skillet in the oven, baking at 400°F until puffed and golden-brown, about 20 minutes.

6. Remove and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve dusted with powdered sugar.