Project NYT: Sugared puffs

After too many days of packing, moving boxes and settling into our summertime abode, I’ve come to one conclusion: Moving (even the temporary, just-for-the-summer kind) is exhausting. The exhaustive nature of all this moving business has been pretty clear in our kitchen since sometime around the end of April, when we started trying to eat through our cabinets, slowly put together boxes and gear ourselves up to vacate the happy little apartment we’ve called home for the past three years (and all of Ella’s life. Aww…). In an effort to clear the cabinets and avoid excessive grocery shopping, our cooking schedule has been a little off, not to mention our eating-out quota has been way above normal. We’ve been staying up too late, waking up too early and running around like crazy people. Like I said: Moving is exhausting.

But these times are a changing, and by the end of July, our little family is heading to Georgia so Jared can start grad school in August, which means we’ll be doing all this packing/moving again in a matter of months. Ooph. But enough about the impending trek South (despite the un-fun-ness of moving, we’re actually super duper pumped about it). What I am happy to report today is that we’re finally feeling settled in our temporary locale, and nothing says settled to me like a kitchen that’s in full use. In the past week and a half, I’ve been on a baking rampage, with pie, brownies, cookies and pastries all making a much-missed appearance. My sugar spot is happy.

And speaking of sugar, these sugared puffs (is that a good name or what?) from The Essential New York Times Cookbook are the most fun little doodads I’ve whipped up in a while. They’re essentially popovers with a cinnamon sugar topping, but the taste is really something special. And few baking-related things are more exciting than seeing those popovers puff up in the pan higher than you ever imagined they could go. It’s like someone injected them a healthy dose of puff powder. But really, it’s just your mad baking skills in action.

••••••••••••••••••••

Sugared Puffs
From The Essential New York Times Cookbook (Amanda Hesser, p. 867)

For the puffs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk (The recipe says to use whole, but I used 1 percent, and it worked just fine.)
• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

For the sugar coating
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

To make the puffs, heat oven to 400 degrees. Liberally butter a nonstick popover pan or muffin pan. Put the melted butter, eggs, milk, sugar and salt in a blender (or mix with a hand mixer), and whiz for a few seconds. Add the flour, and blend just until smooth.

Divide the batter among 8 or 9 greased molds, and fill each to about three-quarters full. Bake for 35 minutes, until the puffs are deep brown.

Remove the puffs from the oven, and wait a few minutes (until they’re cool enough to handle), then remove them from the pan, using a small knife to help pry them out.

For the sugar coating, mix the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl big enough to dip the popovers into.

Brush each puff with melted butter, then dip them in the sugar coating to coat completely. Let cool on baking rack.

••••••••••••••••••••

Aren’t these puffs some of the cutest things on the planet? And they’re so, so, soooo easy to make. Perfect for a quick and easy breakfast or a super fast dessert. Mmm…

Are you gearing up for a big weekend? Any fun plans coming up? What’s on the menu? I can’t wait to hear it!

XO,
Katrina