Vanilla-Mascarpone Popovers #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. This month the Bread Bakers are focusing on cheese bread.

Host Sue from Palatable Pastime gave us these guidelines: "Make a loaf with cheese mixed into the dough or batter (not simply melted on it like pizza or a cheese pull-apart loaf). If a cheese cube is fully enclosed or encased by dough, that will be fine. Any type of cheese is acceptable, including vegan cheese, also powdered/dried cheese."

"Yeast breads and quick breads (those using baking powder for leavening) and even unleavened breads are all great. Some examples of acceptable breads without yeast include sourdough, muffins, coffee cakes, crepes, doughnuts, dumplings, tea breads, pancakes, popovers, scones and waffles."

Wow! Cheese + bread is one of my favorite combinations. I had just posted a recipe for Flaounes (Cypriot Cheese Pastries); I considered re-doing the Casatiello I made or creating a savory version of my Chrysanthemum Bread. 

But, then, the boys were clamboring for popovers and I remembered that Sue had approved them. I have made Cotswold-Chive Popovers before. This time I wanted to lean towards the sweet side and opted to stir in some mascarpone cheese (my homemade version) to the batter. These were light, fluffy, and so scrumptious. First...

The Cheesy Bread Basket

• Brazilian Cheese Bread by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Buttermilk Cheddar Quick Bread by Food Above Gold
• Caramelized Onion and Cheese Bread by Ambrosia 
• Cheddar Beer Bread Rolls by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Cheese Babka by Passion Kneaded
• Easy Cheesy Pull Apart Rolls by I Camp In My Kitchen
• Irish Cheddar Scones by Baking Sense 
• Mexican Cornbread Waffles by Food Lust People Love
• Mozzarella Stuffed Breadsticks by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mini Chilli Cheese Parathas by Sizzling Tastebuds
• Pancakes Huancaina by The Schizo Chef 
• Party Cheese Bread by Anybody Can Bake
• Soft Cheese Bread by The Mad Scientist's Kitchen
• Spicy Cheese Bread by Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Stuffed Mini Cheese Chicken Burger Buns by Sneha's Recipe
• Wholemeal Cheese Bombs by Cook with Renu
• Vanilla-Mascarpone Popovers by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Vanilla-Mascarpone Popovers

Ingredients makes 6 popovers

• 1 C organic whole milk
• 1/2 C mascarpone cheese (here's my homemade version)
• 1-1/2 C flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• 1 T butter, cut into 6 cubes

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400º F. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mascarpone.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Temper the eggs so they don't scramble or curdle. Whisk constantly until the eggs and milk are completely combined. Fold in the flour and salt until just combined. Then stir in the vanilla extract.

Place the popover pan in the oven for 3 minutes to preheat. At the end of 3 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, and add a pat of butter to each cup.

Once the butter has melted, pour the batter into the cups, filling each about three-quarters of the way. 

Bake the popovers for 20 minutes at 400º F. Reduce the temperature to 300º F and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes. 

Remove the popovers from the oven and serve immediately.  As they cool, they will deflate.

For more cheesy goodness, add a smear more of mascarpone and homemade jam in these. Yum!