Beginning The New Year With A Pop(over)

Happy New Year, my dears! Eep...can somebody tell me how it got to be 2011 already? Equally important (or perhaps more?) I'm wondering how long it'll be before I remember to write the correct year on things. Like I was lining up a few drafts for upcoming posts yesterday, but damn it they kept disappearing! Ditz that I can be, it was 10 minutes before I realized they'd been shoved back in 2010. I guess I'm in for some "fun" times until I adjust... =).

That issue aside, it's funny how time moves by so fast these days as opposed to when I was younger. Now there's too often little chance to savor the sweet moments. Which is yet another reason I'm thankful to have this site and all of you. Not only can I share my passions and personal adventures here, but your responses and our interactions become wonderful new experiences in and of themselves that are all saved. I just spent an afternoon flipping through the posts of last year. My favorite 6 are listed below -- I hope you remember (or discover) them as happily as I did!

Buuuut you didn't think I'd start off the New Year without a new dish now, did ya? One of my resolutions is to tackle my to-try recipes list, which has become quite a beast! It includes fancy treats like the infamous macaron, but I decided to start slow with these easy, versatile popovers. If you've never had one, popovers are light, hollow rolls with golden crusts and soft insides. Their buttery, eggy (in a good way) flavor pairs wonderfully with jam and cream, honey, or simply a smear of butter. They're also a versatile canvas for playing with other flavors; for example, I plan to try a savory herb and cheese variation mmm. The recipe is at the end of this post if you'd like to give it a go yourself :).

Finally, it's on to the list! Thank you all for making 2010 a year to remember here at 6 Bittersweets! I'd love to hear what you'd like to see more of in 2011, and I'm so excited to share even more yummy goodness with you through the New Year!

Favorite Posts of 2010

6. Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Miso-Tahini Glaze - Excited is an understatement of how I felt when I found the recipe for this favorite from the Teaism restaurant. The sauce is simply addictive!

5. Cookies N' Cream Owl Cupcakes - Super delicious, cute, and uses easy-to-find ingredients...these cupcakes were a resounding success. The post remains one of my most popular.

4. Spiked Spaghetti with Tomato Vodka Cream Sauce - My boyfriend's been scarfing this down and asking for more for so long that I can't believe I only just thought to share this. It doesn't taste like alcohol, but the vodka really adds something special to the sauce.

3. Browned Butter Pizzookies with Pecans - It wasn't until I published this post that I realized so many of you had never heard of pizzookies. These babies are quick to whip up and are just full on nutty buttery gooey chocolate-y goodness. I dare you to go back to regular cookies after ;p.

2. Mangomisu Trifle Cake - Although this was a gorgeous Delicious magazine cover recipe, I didn't expect mine to turn out nearly as pretty or tasty as it did. With all that fruit and creamy mascarpone, this cake wasn't cheap but was worth.every.penny.

1. S'mores Cupcakes - I almost didn't make these cuppin' cakes due to illness, but thank goodness I decided to soldier on because these are the best cupcakes I've made or eaten to date. And I welcome any excuse to wield my torch and unleash the inner pyro (mwahaha) 8D.

Popovers [Printable Recipe]
Barely adapted from Baking with Julia via Muffins Are Ugly Cupcakes
Makes about 11 popovers (but will vary between baking pans/cups)

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole or 2% milk, room temperature
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, room temperature
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Grease your popover or muffin pan or standalone paper souffle cups.

In a large bowl, mix flour and salt together. In a small bowl, beat eggs and milk together. Add egg mixture and melted butter into flour mixture. Mix everything together well by hand or using a blender, food processor, or stand mixer. If your batter is lumpy, pour it through a strainer to remove the lumps. The batter will be quite thin, similar to the consistency of crepe batter. Pour batter into greased popover or muffin pan or standalone baking cups so that each cup is half filled. If using standalone cups, set them on a cookie sheet for baking.

Bake for 25 minutes, without opening the oven door. By that time, the popovers should have popped and should be nicely browned. At this point, lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes to dry out the insides. Remove from oven, let cool slightly, and enjoy with your meal!