30 Minute Small Batch Popovers, or a Savory Dutch Baby

Now that the weather is turning colder, we're back to cooking a lot of soup.  On a busy night, I often wish for something I can put together quickly to go with the soup.  Enter the popover. I have a quick small batch (6 popovers) recipe to share. When I use a muffin tin for popovers one of my main frustrations was that my popovers were sticking to the pan like glue, making them impossible to get out in one piece and a real problem to clean the pan. With a little online tip searching and trial and error, I have an approach that really improves this sticking:

• Put a good amount of oil in each muffin cup.  About a scant teaspoon or so.  Multiple trials have demonstrated that cooking spray just doesn't work as well
• Heat the oiled pan in your preheated oven for about 3-4 minutes (until the oil is almost smoking) then swirl the oil onto the sides of the muffin cups by rotating the pan again before putting the popover batter in the cups 
• Take the popovers out of the pan the second you take them out of the oven

This recipe makes 6 muffin-sized popovers:

1/2 C flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp melted butter or oil, if desired (I often skip it)
1/2 C milk
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400.  If you have a convection oven, use convection and it will go even faster. Prep your pan as described above. Whisk ingredients together for about 2 minutes (or blend in the blender).  Pour batter into your smoking hot pan.  Bake about 22-25 min on convection, about 28-35 for a regular oven.

Enjoy them with your soup!

Ready for Soup

Sometimes even with greasing the pan well, the popovers still stick, so a Dutch Baby is a good option when you don't want to mess with the individual cups. Here is a good recipe from Bon Appetit:

3 eggs, room temp
3/4 whole milk, room temp
3 Tbsp butter, divided
1/2 C flour
2 Tbsp corn starch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Place medium cast iron skillet in oven and preheat to 450, letting skillet heat 20-25 min. Blend eggs in blender 1 min, blend in milk, then 2 Tbsp melted butter, then add dry ingredients and blend until just combined. Swirl 1 Tbsp butter in hot skillet to melt, immediately pour in batter so butter doesn't burn. Bake until puffed and brown, 20-25 min.

Make sure your oven racks are far enough apart!

For a smaller batch Dutch baby, try this one, made here in a slightly smaller 8" cast iron skillet:

Smaller batch version of Dutch baby

Update:

Despite trying several methods of greasing in our muffin tin, I was still having real problems with sticking. My father-in-law suggested cooking popovers in greased oven-proof coffee mugs- they didn't stick! Here is the "6 muffin" amount of batter from above in two mugs.

Or, you can use the same "6 muffin" amount of batter in a small (6") cast iron skillet:

1. Preheat convection oven to 400 with skillet in the oven
2. Add butter, then batter
3. Bake about 20-23 minutes, until puffed and golden.

6" Savory Dutch Baby

Dec 2023 Update:

When I was recently at the Nordicware outlet, there was a popover pan on clearance, and it came home with me. The cups on this pan are much larger, so I opted to try a halved recipe from Nordicware's website for the two of us, which made 3 large popovers:

• 1 large egg
• 1/4 c plus 2 Tbsp milk
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1/2 Tbsp melted butter or oil
• 1/2 c flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• dash rosemary (optional)

Place rack in lower 1/3 of oven and preheat to 375. Grease 3 cups of popover pan. Blend ingredients in blender and divide into 3 cups in pan. Bake 40-45 min (or less if using convection).

The Chocolate Pie Contest

The idea for this pie contest grew from my husband Andy's ongoing pining for the legendary chocolate pie he used to get at the Lincoln Del, which closed in 2000.

Lincoln Del Bloomington

The legendary chocolate pie

I set out to try a series of recipes in an attempt to recreate his memory of the Lincoln Del's pie.  Obviously, there would be challenges with this task.  Who really remembers what a pie was like when you haven't eaten it in over 15 years?  There are published recipes that call themselves versions of the Lincoln Del chocolate pie, with a few variations, but I wasn't confident they'd be the best.  I also had some other chocolate pie recipes I'd collected over the years I thought should be tried.  I started by asking Andy what he liked best about the Lincoln Del pie.  His critical-to-quality criteria were the texture of the chocolate filling (he described it as somewhat dense and firm) and the deep chocolate taste.  Of course, he also reminisced about the ridiculous 2.5" layer of whipped cream, but indicated a more modest layer of whipped cream would be sufficient.  He didn't care about the crust- it was only a vehicle to contain the chocolate filling.

We discussed how we would establish pie objectivity for this contest.  I wasn't about to make and eat multiple different chocolate pies simultaneously, so we needed a way to rate the pies and track data over months.  Unless you're a highly trained food scientist, eating pie is a rather subjective experience.  How were we going to assess each pie so we could determine the best one?  Would we attempt to grade density on a 1-10 scale?  How would we reliably rate density in a sequential rather than parallel process?  Ultimately we accepted that there was no easy way to establish complete objectivity, and since this was pie and not nuclear fusion, we were pretty likely to have a good outcome anyhow. 

I made up a little spreadsheet and got cooking.  Along the way we learned that melted marshmallows in a chocolate pie are not a good idea.  I also took us down a chocolate cream pie detour, which triggered an important discovery: the texture Andy is looking for is more of the whipped butter texture- not the cream pie/custard texture (although the kids were big fans of the cream pie detour).  It turns out whipped butter pies are more in the "french silk" genre, and I needed to broaden my recipe search terms.

A chocolate cream pie in May

Once we figured this out, we changed course and quickly zeroed in on the ultimate winner. We officially ended the contest and declared a winner with The Best French Silk Pie recipe.

The winner!

Andy declared that this was the pie that most closely approximates all of the wonders of the old Lincoln Del pie, and that he no longer had to suffer with chocolate pie despair.  You might ask why Andy scored this winning pie a 4.7 out of 5 and not a 5/5.  He maintains a philosophy that if you ever give a perfect score, the cook could become complacent and have nothing left to strive for.

Date made	Recipe title	Score out of 5
4/25/2014	Lincoln Del Chocolate Pie copycat recipe	4.5
5/25/2014	Hershey Bar Pie	4
6/13/2014	Gourmet Magazine Chocolate cream pie	4.3
3/5/2015	Penzey's Chocolate Bavarian Cream pie	3.5
5/1/2015	Chocolate cream pie made w/ sweetened condensed milk	4.25
5/11/2015	Pioneer Woman French silk pie	4.4
8/22/2015	King Arthur chocolate ice box pie (made and served by my mother, who knew nothing about the ongoing pie contest)	4.2
9/13/2015	The Best French Silk Pie	4.7

The winning recipe was from Avery Cooks:
The Best French Silk Pie
 You'll see this recipe has a 30 min beating time with intermittent egg additions- I wouldn't attempt it without a sturdy stand mixer.  The recipe is here with its Oreo crust, Andy prefers a standard crust (see my no-roll recipe below).

The Best French Silk Pie

Yield: one 9-inch pie, 8 generous servings

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 4+ hours or overnight, for setting up

Ingredients:

Crust
20 Oreo cookies, finely crushed (I use chocolate-filled Oreos rather than white-filled, and regular rather than Double-Stuffed)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling
6 ounces dark chocolate, at least 72%, chopped (Trader Joe’s Pound Plus 72%, or unsweetened baker's chocolate may be substituted)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (I use salted butter and omit the pinch of salt)
1 1/2 cups ultrafine sugar, also called baker's sugar (I’ve used granulated and it’s been fine)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso granules, optional but recommended
pinch salt, optional and to taste
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Topping
2 cups freshly whipped cream
3 to 4 ounces dark chocolate (72% or higher) roughly chopped, for sprinkling

Directions:

Crust - Preheat oven to 350F 

1. Add Oreos to the canister of a food processor and process until finely ground, 1 to 2 minutes on high power; set aside.
2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute on high power.
3. Add melted butter to canister of food processor and process until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
4. Turn crumbs out into pie dish and using your fingers, hard-pack the mixture to create a crust, making sure to cover sides of pie dish.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, or until just set. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Filling - In a medium microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate, about 1 to 2 minutes on high power. Stop after 1 minute to check and stir. Heat in 15 second increments until chocolate can be stirred smooth; set aside to cool.

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter, sugar, and beat on high power until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mixture should be very pale, almost white; the lighter and fluffier the better to ensure sugar is well on its way to being dissolved and incorporated fully.
2. Add the vanilla, espresso granules, optional salt, cooled chocolate, and beat on high power until incorporated and mixture is fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, remove paddle attachment, switch to whisk attachment, add 1 egg, and beat for 5 minutes on high power.
4. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the second egg, beat for 5 minutes on high power. Repeat process with remaining eggs. Eggs are added 1 at a time, spaced 5 minutes apart, for a total of 20 minutes active whipping time. After 20 minutes, make sure your mixture is smooth, silky, fluffy, with zero traces of graininess. Continue beating until you're satisfied with the smoothness because this is what your pie will taste like.
5. Turn mixture out into crust, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for at least 4 hours (overnight is better) for pie to set up fully.

Topping - Add the whipped topping/cream, smoothing it lightly with a spatula.

Sprinkle evenly with chopped chocolate before slicing and serving. Pie will keep covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.

My no-roll pie crust

I do not like to roll out pie crust. I just don't. I've been cooking for 30+ years, and this fact has not changed. I'll rise to the occasion a couple of times a year because a few people in my family are pie crust purists, but for basic, single crust purposes, this is my go-to approach. Salty, flaky, easy, mixed in the pie plate, no messy surfaces or swearing. If you're a pie crust purist- keep rolling. If you, too, hate to roll out crust, give this a try.

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 teaspoons sugar (I usually omit)
• 1/2 cup oil (fresh, and mild-flavored such as canola)
• 2 tablespoons milk 

1. Mix dry ingredients together with a fork in a pie pan.
2. Make a well in the center and add the oil and milk.
3. Mix with a fork til it makes a ball.
4. Flatten and press into the pan in pie crust shape and flute the edge.
5. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes until golden (note- I find it usually needs a little longer to get the golden brown I'm looking for- closer to 20 min).

Mixing in pie plate

Patting out crust evenly in plate

Baked crust ready for filling

August 2020 addendum:

This Magnolia French Silk Pie recipe is really delicious, and because you cook the sugar and eggs together first, it reduces the concern about raw eggs, and it reduces the potential graininess of the pie. Andy thought this could possibly tie for first place.

This Summer's Produce- Thanks for the Memories, Plus Recipes

According to the MN DNR's Summer Glory Index, this has indeed been one of the best Minnesota summers on record (MN Summer Glory Index).  We had a great CSA (community supported agriculture) season, as well, through Untiedt's CSA program (Untiedts).  Each week I picked up a box that weighed about 18-22 lbs, and got busy on prepping and using the contents.

I met the challenge of using all of the box contents.  Here are a few of my best tips and recipes:

Kale:
Boy we got a lot of kale this year.  I made kale chips frequently (kale chips).  I chopped it and added doses to salads.  I blanched and froze it for soups in the winter.  We made kale and fruit smoothies with the new blender.

Cucumbers:
We LOVE dill refrigerator pickles.  See recipe below

Beets:
We also received a bunch of beets this year:

Since I'm the only one in the family that really likes beets, I found a fabulous refrigerator beet pickle recipe- see below.  Additionally, my husband tried his hand at a beet smoothie.  He said it was "OK."

Beet Smoothie

Tomatoes:
We were graced with many, many tomatoes, including from our own garden:

We have a favorite gazpacho recipe- see below. On several occasions, when faced with too many tomatoes at once, I choose to stew and then freeze them.  I wash, core and quarter them, then throw them in a stock pot and simmer over medium heat until they're well-stewed and have reduced a lot of their water.  I then freeze them in containers to add to chili throughout the winter.

Stewed Tomatoes

Salads:
With all of the lettuces and vegetables, we had some incredible salads this summer.  Here is one of my favorite chopped salad (and dressing!) recipes: Chopped salad with creamy balsamic dressing

Chopped Salad

The family house dressing, however, is my mom's maple mustard vinaigrette recipe-see below.  If we run out, there is a family uproar.

Zucchini:
Here I must confess that none of us are real fans of zucchini or summer squash.  It's bland.  It's rubbery raw, but then it gets watery when you try to cook it.  I've used it in zucchini "pasta" and stir fries, and the old standby- chocolate zucchini bread (because you can make many things palatable with the addition of chocolate, below).  This year I tried zucchini fries, and those were pretty good (below), and a great batch of ratatouille (also below).

Ratatouille

Onions:
We love baked onion rings (below).

One of our best summer produce memories will be the opportunity we had to tour Untiedt's CSA farm.  Farmer Jerry drove us around by tractor and stopped along the way so we could gorge ourselves silly on raspberries and strawberries.  It was a hot July day, and the berries were warm and fantastically sweet.  We pledged to try to remember the sensations during the winter.

Garlic Dill Refrigerator Pickles

Note- Brine recipe sufficient to fill 2 Qt jars filled with cucumbers

2 pounds Kirby cucumbers
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons pickling salt
6 garlic cloves, peeled (3 per jar)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper per jar 

 1 teaspoon dill seed per jar 

 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns per jar

Wash the cucumbers.  In a large saucepot, combine vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a simmer.

Arrange jars on counter and dole out the spices to each. Pack the cucumber firmly into the jars. You don't want to damage the cukes, but you do want them packed tight.

Pour the brine into the jar, leaving approximately ½ inch headspace.

Tap jars gently on countertop to dislodge any trapped air bubbles.

Apply lids and let jars cool. When they've returned to room temperature, place jars in refrigerator. Let them sit for at least 48 hours before eating. 

Pickled Refrigerator Beets

 Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pickled_beets/#ixzz3l0lFOXxn

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 50 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4

This recipe uses a basic vinaigrette, heavy on the vinegar to offset the sweetness of the beets, but you could easily use any favorite vinaigrette. A little olive oil with salt, pepper, and balsamic is lovely. Try sprinkling a little orange zest in with the beets, or adding some lime, lemon, or orange juice to the dressing for a citrus note.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch (4 or 5) beets
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• Salt and pepper

Method

1 Remove greens from beets, save for future use (see beet greens recipe). Scrub the beets free of any dirt.

2a Boiling method. Place the beets in a medium saucepan and cover with water by about an inch. Bring to a boil on high heat then lower the heat and maintain a simmer for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on the size of the beets, until they are easily pierced with the tines of a fork.

2b Roasting method. Rub the beets with olive oil and wrap them in foil (you can wrap them all together, no need to wrap them individually). Roast in a 400°F oven for an hour or until they are easily pierced with a fork. Let them cool to the touch.

3 If you have boiled the beets, drain them and rinse them cold water. Use your fingers to slip the peels off of the beets. The peels should come off easily. Discard the peels. Quarter or slice the beets.

4 Make the vinaigrette by combining the cider vinegar, sugar, olive oil, and dry mustard. Whisk ingredients together with a fork. The dry mustard will help to emulsify the vinaigrette. Adjust to taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Combine beets and vinaigrette in a bowl and allow to marinate for a half hour at room temperature.

Mom’s Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

2/3 C. maple syrup

1/3 C. apple cider vinegar

2 shallots

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp course mustard

½ tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 C. canola oil

Put all ingredients except oil in food processor or blender and blend until pureed.  Add oil and blend.

Creamy Balsamic Dressing
(makes 1 2/3 cups of dressing)

4 cloves garlic, grated
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons Morton's Nature's Seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra light olive oil

Combine and blend

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Read more: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-zucchini-bread/print#ixzz3ThzanPOm

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 50 min. + cooling YIELD:24 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups shredded peeled zucchini

Directions

• 1. In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and baking powder; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in zucchini. Transfer to two 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray.
• 2. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each).

Favorite Gazpacho
3 lbs peeled and seeded tomatoes, chopped (blanch a few seconds to peel)
1/2 lb cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/2 C red or white onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/4 C olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1-2 tsp sugar
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp tomato paste (or substitute ketchup)
1 C spicy V8 juice (regular tomato juice is fine, too)
2 Tbsp worcester sauce
1 C beef or chicken broth (substitute if you want it to be vegan-often I'll just use more tomato juice)
1/4 C fresh basil, finely chopped

Mix and chill

Gazpacho

Crispy Zucchini Fries with Basil Parmesan Dipping Sauce

From Meredith Deeds

Serves 6.

Note: Looking for something that tastes decadent but isn’t? These panko-coated zucchini strips, baked to golden perfection and paired with a creamy, cheesy herbed dipping sauce should fit the bill. Panko are bigger and lighter than the traditional breadcrumb, which could be substituted.

• 1/3 c. low-fat buttermilk

• 3 tbsp. low-fat mayonnaise

• 3 tbsp. low-fat sour cream

• 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

• 2 tbsp. chopped basil

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1/2 c. flour

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs (see Note)

• 2 tbsp. olive oil

• 1 tsp. paprika

• 4 medium zucchini, ends trimmed, then cut into 3- by 1/2-in. strips

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, mayo, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, basil and garlic. Set aside.

Stir together flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow bowl, then stir together the breadcrumbs, olive oil and paprika in a third shallow bowl. Working in batches, dredge zucchini in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, pressing to coat.

Place zucchini onto the wire rack atop the baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.

Place on a serving platter and garnish with a sprinkling of Parmesan. Serve the dipping sauce on the side.

Easy Ratatouille

Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Total Time: 45 min

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 25 min

Yield: A generous quart, 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

·         1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed

·         1 1/2 cups small diced yellow onion

·         1 teaspoon minced garlic

·         2 cups medium diced eggplant, skin on

·         1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

·         1 cup diced green bell peppers

·         1 cup diced red bell peppers

·         1 cup diced zucchini squash

·         1 cup diced yellow squash

·         1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes

·         1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

·         1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

·         Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Set a large 12-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and lightly caramelized, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the eggplant and thyme to the pan and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is partially cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the green and red peppers, zucchini, and squash and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook for a final 5 minutes. Stir well to blend and serve either hot or at room temperature.

Beer-Battered Onion Rings

·  YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 4 onion rings)

2 large onions, peeled (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup flat beer
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cut the onion crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices, and separate into rings. Use 16 of the largest rings; reserve remaining onion for another use. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, paprika, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in beer and egg white (batter will be thick). Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip 5 onion rings in batter, letting excess drip off. Add onion rings to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Place the onion rings on a jelly-roll pan. Repeat procedure of dipping onion rings in batter and cooking in remaining oil, ending with 6 rings. Coat the onion rings with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until crisp. Serve rings with ketchup.