Dear Folks, Now that I've gone through a few pans of delicious baked biscuits, I'm ready to move on to a more sophisticated baked bread sort of thingy. And that's popovers. Back in 1972 I baked up my first batch of popovers and I've never forgotten how delicious and spectacular they were. So tall and so light and so delicious that I'm determined to bake up another batch of them ASAP. Now that my mixer bowls are sparkling clean and my old mixer is up on my counter top and my muffin tin is also newly cleaned, I'm ready to tackle the simple recipe. The only thing I'll have to dig up is my flour sifter (and oh how I hate to sift flour!) but if you want perfection, you go by the recipe. All that's called for is eggs, milk, flour and salt. After mixing, pour it all into very hot greased custard cups or iron popover pans and bake in a hot oven at 425 degrees for 40 minutes. But hold the phone here. I thought that I was left with only my muffin tin and only a few custard cups that would accommodate the recipe. But guess what? I found the rest of the Pyrex custard cups in the cupboard and all that I need to do is to give them a good hot soapy water cleaning. Oh you wouldn't believe how they turn out. They look like the hat that the Pillsbury Doughboy wears, they're so tall and moist and tender and in addition they heat up nicely. Now if only I can find my flour sifter. vee

Vee, If you can't find the sifter use a wire strainer and just shake it. Ruth At 12:31 AM -0500 4/4/04, Vee L. Housman wrote: >Dear Folks, >Now if only I can find my flour sifter. >vee -- Ruth Barton [email protected] Dummerston, VT

Ruth suggested, > Vee, If you can't find the sifter use a wire strainer and just shake it. Ruth Ruth, do you know what? That's pretty much my attitude lately. Actually I did find my 1950 Bridal Shower flour sifter today, gave it a good scrubbing and I really don't hate to sift the flour. All I need to do is hold its red-painted handle and turn its crank with the red-painted knob on the end of it and I have sifted flour. However, back in "my day" sifting flour was an exact science. First of all you needed to lay down a piece of wax paper to sift the flour onto. Note: I don't have any wax paper any more. But more than that, after the flour has been sifted you were strongly instructed to VERRRY carefully spoon the sifted flour into the proper measuring cup. And if needed, crease the wax paper to pour more flour into the cup to fill it up. Well, Boys and Girls, that's just not my style anymore. OK, I'll sift the flour but under the present circumstances, I'll use a clean sheet of folded printer paper instead of wax paper. Will I VERRY carefully spoon the flour into the measuring cup? Ya gotta be kidding! I'll just dump it into the cup. As we used to say in the Navy, "It's close enough for Government work!" Will my popovers end up less than perfection? Ask me if I can even remember what "perfect" popovers used to taste like! But I'll tell you what--when you're eating a hot popover slathered in butter, who cares! :-) vee

Vee, I remember my mother telling me to spoon the sifted flour very carefully into the cup so that it didn't settle. That way your buscuits or popovers would be lighter and fluffier! I don't know if it made any difference because I always did as I was told - I lifted carefully! :-) Jo in Michigan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Vee L. Housman" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 04, 2004 11:29 PM Subject: Re: [FOLKS] Onward to another baking experience > Ruth suggested, > > > Vee, If you can't find the sifter use a wire strainer and just shake it. > Ruth > > Ruth, do you know what? That's pretty much my attitude lately. Actually I > did find my 1950 Bridal Shower flour sifter today, gave it a good scrubbing > and I really don't hate to sift the flour. All I need to do is hold its > red-painted handle and turn its crank with the red-painted knob on the end > of it and I have sifted flour. > > However, back in "my day" sifting flour was an exact science. First of all > you needed to lay down a piece of wax paper to sift the flour onto. Note: I > don't have any wax paper any more. But more than that, after the flour has > been sifted you were strongly instructed to VERRRY carefully spoon the > sifted flour into the proper measuring cup. And if needed, crease the wax > paper to pour more flour into the cup to fill it up. > > Well, Boys and Girls, that's just not my style anymore. OK, I'll sift the > flour but under the present circumstances, I'll use a clean sheet of folded > printer paper instead of wax paper. Will I VERRY carefully spoon the flour > into the measuring cup? Ya gotta be kidding! I'll just dump it into the > cup. As we used to say in the Navy, "It's close enough for Government > work!" > > Will my popovers end up less than perfection? Ask me if I can even remember > what "perfect" popovers used to taste like! But I'll tell you what--when > you're eating a hot popover slathered in butter, who cares! :-) > vee > > >