Old School Popover's

My Grandmother's Popover's. So first let me apologize for the long pause in recipes. I have been taking care of Mama and now she is living here at my home and all is good. As a matter of fact now all is delicious. I am going to crank out some of Mama's favorite recipes. The first one she could remember is her Mother (Twila's) Popover's .




She says they were yummy and she use to just make them plain. So I asked what Mama would like to add to ours. She said some basil and cheese. Now the easiest cheese I thought without adding any more texture would be the Parmesan cheese in the jar. I usually use fresh shredded but what the heck I will go out of my comfort zone.

Twila's Popover's

You need 6 ramekins but we used a large six cup muffin pan.

2 beaten egg's
1 cup of whole milk
1 tablespoon of cooking oil (not olive)
1 cup of flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt (not kosher)
* We added 1/4 cup chopped dried basil and a half cup of Parmesan cheese


If your muffin pan is non stick I suppose you do not have to coat it but I did coat each cup with some shortening. I was glad I did this because after we baked them they stuck a tiny bit. Put the muffin pan on a baking sheet and set it aside while you get your batter ready.





In a mixing bowl beat your egg's.

Now add the milk and cooking oil.
Add your flour and salt.

 * Now add the extra ingredient's if you choose.




You can now beat everything together with your whisk until smooth.




Fill the muffins tins half way full.







Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes or till the popovers are firm.

Immediately after your remove them from the oven prick them with a fork to let the steam come out. Hey cook them longer if you want them to be crispy.

But do it once the oven is off and watch them.
Serve warm...                                      .




The texture was indescribable. Mama and I sat trying to figure out what the texture was similar to. We tried to figure it out till there was only two left...

  Popover Heaven

Banana Muffins with Oatmeal and Pecans

These Banana Pecan-Oatmeal Muffins came from yet another rainy day.  If it rained as much as it does up North I would weigh so much more. They are moist and have a great crunch due to the great ingredients.





It is bad enough that I need to loose 6 pounds. Back to the Muffins.

They are super good and have a bit of a crunch.

I did make a few changes to this recipe I changed the sugar to half white, and half brown.
I added one cup of oatmeal but that is about it and they still turned out great.
The oatmeal gave them a super nice crunch.

Ingredients

4 ripe bananas - mushed
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 and a 1/2 cups of white flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup of oatmeal
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Start by mixing your sugar and oil. It will just moisten the sugar not make it creamy.
Now add the two eggs, vanilla and banana.





I always sift my dry ingredients together mostly from habit. But it does insure your stuff is well mixed no surprise lumps after they are cooked.





Alright you can now add your dry ingredients.  Mix into the wet do this by hand meaning do not use your mixer you do not want to over mix this combination.

 They say it makes them dry.  NOT in my humble opinion becuase all the ingredents keep ths reicpe moist as can be.   Hum interesting !



Now fill you muffin/cupcake tins with the mix. Fill the cups just to the top. They rise but not Puffy! About 1/4" from the top.



Once your cups are filled put them in the oven and bake at 350 degrees until just light brown on the top of the muffins.

It should bake for about 25 minutes. Everyone has a different degree of heat in their oven so adjust appropriately. Check the muffins after 12 minutes to insure no burn and turn the tray.

Moist Banana Muffins

Banana Muffins these are moist and so great with a cube of butter on them.  I took a my dad's original recipe and tweaked it. But one thing I changed was replace cashews instead of walnuts. I buy my nuts by the best price and the best time. 

There are so many recipes that use walnuts that I have re-mixed using other nuts. After all a nut is a nut unless you have an acquired taste to one. But walnut's are so very healthy for you.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin tins or grease. Gather your ingredients. I bought some adorable little cupcake holders. 

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup white sugar
1 stick softened butter
2 large eggs
1 to 2 cups mashed bananas
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup chocolate chips (I used mini chips)
Preparations
Make sure your cold ingredients from the refrigerator are room temperature.
Mixing warm with cold just makes things get that curdled look. It does not hurt just looks creepy
Again have your oven at 350 degrees and your muffin's tin ready.
Sift together the flour and baking soda in a bowl on the side.
I

In your mixing/mixer bowl place your softened butter and sugar and mix until well blended.
Now add your buttermilk, next add your egg's, now add your mushed banana's, add your final ingredient your vanilla extract.

Beat these ingredients until they are light and fluffy.

Add your nuts. You can make this recipe with no nuts it is just as delicious. Also it will make no difference in the moisture of the Banana Muffins.

Now add half of your dry ingredients using your mixer until just blended.  
Now by hand add the remaining flour.
This batter has the same consistency as waffle batter it is thick but light and airy.

Cook your muffins for 20 minutes and then check them to see if you will need a few more minutes.

I cook mine for 20 minutes then turn the muffin pan to make sure the muffins are cooked even. My stove sometimes is moody and cooks more toward the back then the front. Stupid Oven.

These will need a few more minutes I want the top just a light brown. Oh right here is a trick for your baking muffins and cupcakes with left over batter .

If you have batter but not enough to fill your tins just fill the empty with water this way the muffins cook evenly. Good trick. Be careful taking the tin out the water is hot I know! Ouch!

Let them cool on a rack and do your second batch. To take your warm muffins out.

Butter on the top when eating is a must do!

Bananas Bran Muffins

                                         

Banana and Bran what a great combo.

Bran Muffin are good for you but add a little potassium and Boom your healthy.

I know I do use sugar, butter and all thing's fat-ish but the taste I have not yet been won over by all our gluten free, fat free la-de-da. It works for some people I get it. But my mind and body always brings me back to my family and the original way they cooked. All my products are healthy store stuff and my flour is ground locally at Great Harvest in Newbury Park .When it comes to baking it is such an exact science but I am doing my best to put that to rest. There are somethings you can bake and do a bit of tweaking.

Not wanting to bore you but a few facts. I found this recipe and it noted that the bran must be soaked for a while to mush it up. The recipe called out to let the bran get soft by using an egg. I have fresh eggs from the neighbors that do not get refrigerated. I know most people do not get fresh but lucky me. Go read A bit about egg's when you have time. Also she uses regular milk for a lack or or not wanting to buy buttermilk. Hey did you know you can freeze the left over. Buttermilk freezes great BUT you can only reuse for baking once frozen.

Where was I ? Shoot let get baking!



The origional recipe  did not tell me how many eggs so I emailed the site but alas no response. But I figured it out. Good Job Baker Girl! Look push come to shove I made the recipe unique to my own taste and thought. Dangerous but great! They turned out delicious, look all I wanted to do originally was use some frozen banana's and buttermilk. .

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of All Bran Cereal
1/3 cup of buttermilk
1/3 cup molasses
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 to 3 mashed bananas
2 large eggs room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup wheat flour
1 cup white flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts. I used pecans but any nut works.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 and have a 12 cupcake tray ready with cupcake insert or  well greased and floured down. I like cupcake insert's it makes clean up and eating quick and easy. Plus it keep the bottom half if the muffin moist.

Step one is to measure your bran and put it into you mixing bowl. Add the molasses, buttermilk, vegetable oil. Mix this all together and let it sit until you add the rest of the ingredient to the mixing bowl. Cover and let it sit while you gather and sift the dry ingredients.






While this is softening up take a separate bowl and sift together your dry ingredients. NOT the brown sugar. Smash you bananas also in a separate plate or bowl. I use a plate to smash the bananas on with a potato smasher.

I like the consistency kind-a-thick yet cooks up mushish.


I sift my dry ingredients together to make sure there are not clumps of flour and the baking soda and powder get mixed into the flour. 



Add your bran mixture in to your mixer. Turn the mixer to low and add the smashed banana and let it come together. Slowly add one egg at a time making sure they are mixed in prior to adding the next one. Now slowly add your brown sugar once this is mixed well on low you can start to add the dry ingredient.

This batter is thick but do not let this worry you. Fill the holder's about 3/4 full they puff up nicely. 

Bake your muffin on 350 for approximately 20 to 30 minutes checking them with a toothpick after 20 minutes. Every oven is different!

You will enjoy these and so will the kid's.

xoxo