Popovers - A Family Favorite

I made these popovers for the first time and my boys loved them, they were a favorite of mine and my brother's growing up.  My mom still has the page of this recipe out of the September 1973 edition of Family Circle that she cut out and saved. 

My mom always makes these on a baking sheet in individual custard cups.  Since I have about a dozen of the same custard cups, I did the same.  I considered buying a popover pan, but decided that the last thing I needed to store in my kitchen, was another pan.  A muffin pan can be used as well.

At school, my 7 year old is learning about properties and matter in science, so he was especially interested in the chemical change these took on as they baked. 

For best results, make sure the eggs and milk are both at room temperature before mixing.  It is also really important to ensure the greased muffin pans (or custard cups) are sizzling hot before the batter is added.  I let my butter heat a little too long and wound up with browned butter, but it was still OK – just avoid burning it!

 

Popovers
Makes 10-12 Popovers

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten (room temperature)
1 cup milk (room temperature)
1 ½ teaspoons plus ¼ - ½ teaspoon melted margarine, melted butter, or beef drippings (I told you recipe was old!)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  While you are making the batter, heat muffin pan (preferably iron), adding between ¼ - ½ teaspoon melted butter or other fat to each muffin cup.  You want the pan and grease hot – but not burned.  My mom used custard cups on a baking sheet for years; I own a dozen of the same glass custard cups, so did the same.  Popover pans are now available – but I really didn’t need another pan to try and store somewhere in my kitchen. 

To make the batter, add sifted flour and salt into a deep bowl and make a well in the center.  Add 2 eggs to the well with ½ cup milk, and 1 ½ teaspoons melted butter or other fat.  Slowly stir flour into liquids until mixture is fairly smooth and like sour cream.  Stir in additional ½ cup milk.  Mixture should be smooth but not over beaten and should be the thickness of heavy sweet cream. 

Once the cups are sizzling hot, fill each one about 2/3 of the way with batter.  Bake in a very hot oven (450 degrees) for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees, and bake another 20 minutes. 

Whatever you do, do not open the oven door.  When done, remove from pan and prick a small hole on each side of the popover so that steam can escape. Otherwise, the popovers may turn soggy inside.
 
Lastly - enjoy with your family and watch their faces light up with happiness! 

Cherry Almond Breakfast Bread

As I was looking through my Williams Sonoma catalog that recently arrived, my eyes quickly spotted a recipe for Cherry Almond Quick Bread.  I removed the "quick" from my post title, because I didn't use one of their quick bread mixes featured on the same page!

This bread is delicious!  I am a huge fan of cherries, paired with an almond flavor, it's awesome.  I have another recipe for Cherry Almond Frozen Yogurt on my site, you'll want to be sure to check that out too.

Cherry Almond Breakfast Bread

Makes 1 loaf
Recipe courtesy of Williams Sonoma

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped dried tart cherries
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease 8" x 4" loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add cherries; toss to distribute evenly.  In another bowl, whisk milk, eggs, butter, and almond extract.  Add to flour mixture; stir until combined.  Do not overmix. 

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes.  Transfer pan to wire rack; let cool 10 minutes.  Turn loaf out onto rack; let cool completely.

Brown Butter Roasted Banana Bread

One of my favorite food bloggers is The Hungry Housewife.  She posted a recipe for Browned Butter Roasted Banana Bread not too long ago and I knew I had to make it!  My boys absolutely LOVE banana bread - when I saw "roasted bananas" and "brown butter" - I was sold. 

I made all of my little one's baby food (I know, weird that I did it for the second but not the first) and roasted all of his fruits and vegetables.  I love the flavor roasting fruits and vegetables brings. 

Below the photos, I included the recipe - but you can also get to the recipe on The Hungry Housewife's site by clicking the link above.  I did not make mine with the walnuts or the blueberries - only because I didn't have any in the house!  But I had three bananas ready to be roasted!

I hope you give this recipe a try and check out The Hungry Housewife's site!

Brown Butter Roasted Banana Bread
Makes 1 large or 2 small loaves
Recipe courtesy of The Hungry Housewife

1 stick salted butter, browned
1 cup white sugar
3 large very ripe bananas, roasted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)
1 cup frozen blueberries (optional - if I used these, I would roast these too!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray TWO 8" x 3 3/4" x 2 1/2" pans with non-stick spray (I used one big loaf pan). 

In a mixing bowl, combine browned butter, sugar, vanilla, and roasted bananas until mixed thoroughly.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each one. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour,baking powder,baking soda and salt. Incorporate the flour and buttermilk into the banana mixture. Start by adding a little buttermilk, mix, then add some flour, then mix. Do this until all of it is gone - always start and end with the flour.

Fold in the walnuts and blueberries.

Divide evenly into the pans and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.  You'll need to bake longer if you make one big loaf. 

Remove from pans and allow to cool on a wire rack.  Cut with a serrated bread knife.

Notes:
To roast bananas: Place bananas(with peel on) on foil and roast in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
To brown butter: Place butter in a pan and cook over medium heat until it starts to brown and become fragrant.
To toast walnuts:Preheat oven to 350, arrange walnuts on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 8-10 minutes.

Sunshine Wheat Bread

I will start by saying that I am not a baker.  I will always require a recipe for something baked and will generally not change much, if anything at all!  But I still want to share great recipes I find with you!

Many, many years ago during a visit to Colorado, the hubby and I made a trip up to Ft. Collins to tour the New Belgium Brewing Company.  At the time we were living on the East Coast and couldn't buy Fat Tire, or any New Belgium beer out there!  While visiting the brewery, I bought a very cute cookbook that was their first edition, called "Beer Gardening" - everything in the cookbook featured one of their beers as a key ingredient.  Best of all, it has a bicycle chain that helps keep the recipe cards in the book together! 

Admittedly, I haven't made anything out of this treasure in years, but stumbled across it the book and made their Sunshine Wheat Bread.  My boys tested it tonight straight out of the oven and fell in love....they asked to have it as their toast for breakfast and sandwiches in their lunch tomorrow.  I hope you enjoy!

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Sunshine Wheat Bread
Makes 2 loaves

pinch of sugar
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup Sunshine Wheat
1 cup whole wheat bread flour
1 cup white flour
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups Sunshine Wheat
2 1/2 + cups white flour
2 1/2 + cups wheat flour

Proof the yeast by placing it in the 1/2 cup warm water.  Be sure the water is warm enough to activate the yeast but not too hot, or it will kill the yeast.  Add a pinch of sugar and let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes.  The yeast should begin to bubble and froth.  If this does not occur, your yeast has gone bad and the bread will not rise.  Start over with new yeast. 

Once the yeast has proven itself, add 1 cup Sunshine Wheat, 1 cup wheat flour and 1 cup white flour.  Stir well and cover with a damp cloth.  Allow the dough to rest and rise for one hour in a warm place. 

Add the melted butter, honey, salt and 1 1/2 cups Sunshine Wheat.  Stir well to combine.  Gradually stir in the remaining flour.  When it becomes too difficult to stir with a spoon, turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and work with your hands.  Continue to add flour until the dough is no longer sticky. 

Knead the dough for 15-20 minutes or until it has become smooth and elastic.  Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl.  Turn the dough once to coat with the oil.  cover and let rise for one our in a warm place.

Punch down the dough and divide into two.  If you want loaves, oil two bread pans.  Fold the dough so the surface is smooth and create a seam on the bottom.  Place the seam side down in the bread pans.  If you want round loaves, oil two cookie sheets.  Form two large rounds and place on the cookie sheets.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about one hour. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake for 30-40 minutes.  For a softer crust, brush tops with butter when finished baking. 

Note:  After the dough has been divided, it may be wrapped in plastic and frozen.  The night before intended use, place dough in the refrigerator to thaw.  The next morning, let dough rise at room temperature for 30-60 minutes and continue with the last rise in the pans or on sheets.  Dough will keep for up to one week in the freezer and no more than one day in the refrigerator.