HAM AND ASIAGO POPOVERS........simple and delicious!

If your not a baker the word "simple" when referring to
 Popovers
or Cream Puffs do not come to mind....
But they are and everyone who cooks or bakes...even a
beginner..... should add
these to your repertoire....
Start with a popover pan.....that is of course if your making
popovers.....Cream puffs get baked on a regular cookie sheet.
I purchased the one above at Ikea for a mere $9.99.....
I love it because it's narrow and tall....
the popovers come perfect!!
If this recipe looks familiar to you I did a post on
the pan I use last March....But I have had so
many people ask me for this recipe I thought I would
do another post about how easy they are to make...

Ikea also sells the cupcake papers to fit this pan....
Someone asked me if the cupcakes fall over
since the pan is so tall and the answer is no....
they look adorable and are a perfect size....
If you aren't lucky enough to live near an Ikea
you can use any popover pan to make the recipe below...
If you are lucky....... you "Don't" live near Ikea and have
never eaten their infamous "meatballs".....after hearing that
 the ones selling in Ikea Europe are
made from horse meat.....
but let's not ruin our appetite.....

prep time is only about 5 minutes with a short baking time
of 20 minutes....so very quick and easy to make
for a luncheon or brunch.....
or as an appetiser at a wine and cheese party....
they are best served right out of the oven....

see how tall they stand.....
the secret is in the baking time and not
rushing them out of the oven....
they will not collapse if you follow the
instructions....

so if you want to impress your neighbors and friends....
Or if you just love a good cheese puff....
Give these a try....
Here is the recipe.....hope you enjoy them!!

1 cup of water
1 stick of butter
1 cup of flour
4 eggs
a pinch of salt
1/3 pound of grated Asiago Cheese
1/3 pound of good sliced deli ham.....any type you like
dice into small pieces...
1/3 to 1/2 cup of good grated Parmesan cheese....

pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.....
in a hurry use my trick of turning on the broiler to
heat the oven faster....turn off after 5 minutes then
change to the bake function set at 400....

in a saucepan heat the water with the butter until
the butter melts....
add the pinch of salt...
remove from heat and all at once add the cup of flour....
Using a wooden spoon stir until it forms a ball....
Add the dough to your mixer....this can also be done by hand
but is a lot easier in a Kitchen Aid....
One at a time add your eggs .....
mixing until each egg gets incorporated into the dough....
Add the grated cheeses and the ham
 stir well...
prepare your pan by spraying it with cooking spray...

using a teaspoon.....divide the dough evenly among the
12 cups....Then go back and mound each cup so the dough
raises above the top of the pan....dough will be stiff so this
works well...

bake for 20-22 minutes or until a nice golden brown....
shut off the oven temp and open the oven door halfway....
Leaving the popovers in the oven.....
This let's them get used to the outside air temp and
will prevent them from collapsing....
after about 3-4 minutes remove from oven onto a cooling rack...
Gently use the tip of a knife to release any that have stuck to the
edge of the pan....and lift them out of the pan and place them on
their sides to cool....do this before moving them to a plate...
Leave them to cool for a few minutes before moving them...
The least handled the less likely chance of them
falling.....
Serve warm.....but they can be eaten at room temp also...
they go great with salads and soups....or all by themselves...
You can also vary the filling just like you would a Quiche...
such as bacon....spinach and parmesan....
Bon Apetit!!