Popover Magic

Takes 5 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes in the oven, no preheating necessary. The batter can be made in advance, so long as it is covered and refrigerated. Then, come morning, voila! Puffy crisps of steamy souffley magic. Yummy with honey, strawberry jam, or a nip of chocolate. I hear tell they go well with a good bite of cheese, too, especially if you mix chives into the batter.

Many thanks to Joe Fiorito's _Comfort Me With Apples_ for the recipe. He credits Marion Cunningham's edition of _The Fanny Farmer Baking Book_ for the revolutionary step of starting the popovers in a cold oven. I would agree that this change makes breakfast-in-bed popovers much more feasible.

[And a woman who will here go unnamed has found that one can measure the flour in the wineglass, dump it into a bowl, then measure the milk, dump it into the bowl, and then microwave a chunk of butter in the wineglass. Dump it in along with two eggs and a dash of salt, and you've just about got the easiest cleanup ever.] Continue reading

Best Ever Vinegar Pie Crust

I won't eat any other kind; my grandma, mom, and aunt make this, and until I was 11, I didn't know there WAS another kind. Good both in desserts (sprinkle top with sugar for a two-crust pie) and main dishes (really good with pot pie). Don't go substituting for the shortening, unless you use lard. Lard and shortening are 100% fat, while butter and margarine are only 80% fat. It won't work right, trust me. To freeze, flatten individual crusts into discs about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, wrap in waxed paper, and freeze in airtight freezer bags with all the air squeezed out. To defrost, let sit out, don't do it in the fridge or it'll get too dry. It doesn't have to completely defrost before you use it; just start rolling as it's starting to soften and it'll speed the process. Makes 4 pie crusts (enough for 4 one-crust pies or 2 two-crust pies). Also good for pasties, turnovers, etc. Continue reading