apple puffy pancake

Okay, so I've got to admit that I'm having a little technical frustration. I've been taking my photographs with a pretty dinky little video camera, because that's what I've got, and my pictures just aren't looking like the food they portray. I'm working on it, and the quality will rise, i promise, but until then, this is what I have to work with. As Julia Child, says, "Never Apologize", but I think that she was talking about the food itself. Anyway, here goes...
Today, we're going to talk about apple puffy pancake. This is one crowd pleaser of a breakfast, a good one for a special occasion. Just make it known to your family that you are only going to make it once in a while; otherwise, this can be a whine-inducing dish. (Oh, mom, please can we have puffy pancake, please, please?)

Apple Puffy Pancake adapted from Moosewood New Classics

serves 4-6 hungry people

Batter:
6 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
2 T butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of nutmeg

fruit topping
2 T butter
4 cups sliced apples (you can leave the peels on)
3 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

apple syrup (optional)
3 cups apple cider
cinnamon stick

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Stir just to combine and set aside. The mixture will be lumpy.
Melt the butter in a big cast iron skillet. Add the apple slices and sautee for a few minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook for another few minutes, until the sugar is melted and the apples are hot.
Leaving the apples in the skillet, make sure that the sides of the skillet are well oiled. Pour the batter over the apples. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until puffed and golden and firm in the center. Keep the oven closed while the pancake is baking.
Meanwhile, if you are making the syrup (maple syrup will work just fine if you don't feel like it), bring the cider and cinnamon stick to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Cook until liquid has cooked down to about 1/2 cup, about 20-25 minutes. Watch it at the end to make sure that it doesn't burn.