Saturday, June 16, 2012

Popovers

Today was the end of my road trip with the kids. Myself, my mother in-law, and all 4 of my little angels packed up into our SUV and drove to Montana. It was well over 1,000 mile road trip (somewhere around 1200 maybe - we had a couple detours) and it wore all of us out! I am writing this post, very drowsily, after only getting a couple hours of sleep (if that) on and off in the passenger seat, after driving 15 hours. Needless to say, I'm exhausted and not up for anything complicated. Thank goodness I stocked up on blog posts before I left, so I have an easy one for you. Popovers.
(Since I'm @ my in-laws and not in my own home for the next 3 weeks or so, my posts might be a little different, and perhaps not so regular. I'll do my best, but we're on vacation! Just FYI.)
Popovers are puffed up clouds of dough that are slightly egg-y and tender in the center, and crisp and brown on the outside. They take 3 minutes to whip together in the blender, and 25 minutes in the oven. They are my go-to bread item when I want a freshly made bread for dinner, but I don't have time for rolls, or even biscuits. I dare you to try them and not love them. You can add cheese, or herbs. You can add a little sugar and make them sweet to eat with cream and berries (almost like cream puffs). They can be stuffed with chicken salad, or served as a side with any meal. They are very versitile, and most importantly on a night like tonight when I'm worn out - easy!
This is a recipe that I created after reading many different recipes from my favorite chefs.

Here's how you do it:

2 eggs go into a blender.

In goes some salt (1 tsp),

some melted and slightly cooled butter (1 Tbsp),

some milk (1 1/4 cups),

and 1 1/4 cups of flour.

Blend it for a second. Stop and scrape down the sides. Then "put the spurs to it" and blend it for a couple minutes on high.

The blended and bubbly batter gets immediately poured into the hot muffin tins - filled about 1/2 full- and baked @ 425 for 25 minutes or until brown and tripled in size. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN BEFORE THEY ARE DONE! That is what oven windows and lights are for - so you can see the food without having to open the door.

I couldn't get a picture of them in the muffin cups (to show you how they rose up a good 1-2 inches above the muffin tin), but you get the idea. They quickly get turned out onto a towel,

and poked with a sharp knife. Each popover gets one slit (in an inconspicuous place), to let out steam.

Each one is unique and beautiful in its own way. They are all equally delicious!

The outside is crisp and the inside is tender.

Here's the recipe:

Popovers

1 Tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup milk (warm this if your eggs are cold)
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425F, with a 12 count muffin tin on the middle rack. When the oven is hot, put all the ingredients into a blender. Blend for 1 minute and then scrape down the sides. Blend again, on high, for 2 minutes until smooth and filled with bubbles. Immediately open the oven, spray the muffin cups with no-stick spray and fill each one 1/2 way with the bubble filled batter. Close the oven door and bake @425 for 20-30 minutes, or until brown and tripled in size (DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN! That's what oven windows and lights are for.) When done, turn the popovers out onto a clean towel and prick each one with a small knife, to let the steam out. Serve.




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