From the Weekend: A Blackberry Dutch Baby

I feel like I've been posting nothing but food on here (oh wait, that is the case!)  But it's mid-August and there's just too much goodness happening in the produce world!  I'm preserving like crazy, so it's just sort of a side effect that I'm sharing what I'm making.  I also made this this weekend, but doubled the topping part of the recipe and patted half into the bottom of the pan and layered with blackberries that were mixed with brown sugar, flour and cornstarch(to keep them thick) to make blackberry crisp bars - SO GOOD.  It made a huge batch, so I'm freezing half to see how they do.

If you're like me, you'll make blackberry freezer jam and have it not set right and you'll wind up with a thick blackberry syrup when you wake up on a Saturday morning and think of how you could use it.  You'll think of pancakes immediately, then remember the post from last fall that detailed a series of dutch babies that made you swoon and remember that you've always wanted to try to make one...

I subbed in vanilla yogurt for the creme fraiche/sour cream option and swirled in a few tablespoons of blackberry jammy/syrup before I baked, then topped with more blackberry jammy/syrup before we ate.  Head over to Dash and Bella for the recipe and instructions on how to make - it's easy.  Blend the ingredients like crazy in a blender and bake in a preheated cast iron skillet until (hopefully) puffy and cooked.  

blackberry syrup:
you can make blackberry (or any berry of your choice) freezer jam and have it not actually set enough (like me.)  We happened to pick blackberries on Friday and needed to use them, but raspberries or blueberries would be a fantastic choice, too!) 

2 cups blackberries 
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
(You can make as much or as little as you'd like, just use a 1:1 ratio for berries to sugar, add some liquid and cook until you like the consistency.)

Combine the blackberries, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  After it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to low and crush the fruit with a potato masher, then let it simmer on low until the syrup reaches a consistency you like.