Hungree Girl: German Apple Pancake (Apple Baby)

Have you ever been to one of those famed "Pancake Houses?" Oh because I have. Whenever I visited my grandparents in Chicago the best part of the trip was always going to the Walker Brother's Pancake House (after see my gram and gramps of course). I mean, I was utterly and completely obsessed. Starting at the ripe age of 5, every time I would go I would order the same thing. " I'll have an Apple Baby with extra extra extra powdered sugar please." Ugh, how cute was I? Well, my taste has changed very little and while I haven't been back to the spot in a while, that pancake has always stuck with me. I have enough memories of that pancake that I can literally picture it sitting in front of me. You know it was coming before it arrived at the table, it's comforting cinnamony smell made for a dramatic advanced entrance. It came served in a black cast iron skillet, spilling over the sides with thick fluffiness, and topped with the requested mountain of powdered sugar. Edges tasted of caramelized sugar, while the center was stocked with tender cinnamon spotted apples that melted in your mouth. It was a sick sick joke, and my 5 year old self would, in true hungree girl fashion, polish off the whole thing every time. Well, these apples brought back that memory and I had to have a go and recreating it. And to be honest, I got pretty close. THIS is what apples are made for.

Ingredients
3 tbs butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 apples, sliced thinly
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon

maple syrup
powdered sugar

Recipe: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat. Once almost fully melted, add the brown sugar. Lower heat, stir once, mixing the brown sugar in, and do not touch for about 2 minutes. The mixture should start bubbling and come together like a caramel. Add the apples and toss them in the caramel so they are well coated. Cover the pan and cook until the apples are tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a medium bowl. Add the milk and vanilla, and gradually whisk in the flour and cinnamon.
Once the apples are tender, pour the contents of the pan into a bowl or side plate. Wipe down the same pan and spray with cooking spray or coat with oil. You want to give the pan a really nice non-stick coating because the caramel gets sticky and doesn't like to come off! Once you've done this, put the apple mixture back in the pan and reheat for about 1 minute. Pour the pancake batter directly on top of the apples. Let sit on medium heat for about 2 minutes, then put the pan directly into the oven. Cook the pancake for 15 minutes on 425, then turn the oven down to 375 and cook for an a dditional 5 minutes.
Garnish with maple syrup and powdered sugar.