I love breakfast food but, I must confess, I have never been a morning person. The last thing I want when I roll out of bed is do anything other than drink coffee - and that is where these scrumptious breakfast popovers come in. Not only are they super simple to make, but you can mix the batter the night before and store it in the fridge for easy morning popover baking. I’m especially fond of eating them with apricot butter, but they also taste great with jam, apple butter or plain old regular butter.

Popovers are light, hollow rolls made from an egg batter similar to the one used to make Yorkshire pudding. They get their name from the way the batter “pops over” the top of a muffin tin and the question I most often hear is: why do they pop? If you look at the recipe below the batter doesn’t have baking powder or soda, which are usually responsible for rising in the absence of yeast. The answer is steam. Compared to most batters there is an unusually high amount of liquid in this one. Once in the oven this liquid converts to steam, which causes the batter to rise dramatically, while protein from the eggs makes the batter stretch, then solidify into thin, crusty walls.

Popovers can be plain like the ones pictures here, or they can be made a bit more fancy by adding bran, buckwheat and even spinach or Parmesan. I’ve included instructions for a few variations.
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These pumpkin half-moon pockets are for everyone who emails me saying that, while they love the recipes I post, there is no way they can make them because they “absolutely cannot cook.” Listen to me: you can make these! Not only are they incredibly tasty, but they require next to no culinary skill. If you can stir a spoon and wield a brush you can definitely impress your friends with these gorgeous autumn treats. So go ahead, fill your kitchen with the aroma of warm cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

Yet another way to use the pumpkin left over after making a pumpkin spice latte!

I’ve also included instructions for alternate fillings: strawberry, mixed dried fruit, and chocolate-nut.

Pumpkin Half-Moon Pockets
Ingredients: Makes 18 pockets

For the dough:

• 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, 9 1/2 inches square each
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the pumpkin filling:
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons canned solid-pack pumpkin (not seasoned pumpkin pie filling)
• 3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

(If you are making the mixed dried fruit filling do that here. Scroll down for instructions.)

Remove both sheets of frozen puff pastry from the box, set them on a lightly floured surface, and cover with plastic wrap. Do not unfold at this point. Let the covered puff pastry sit on the counter top until thawed and just pliable, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, position the over rack on the middle rung. Heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.) Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a non-stick liner. Have ready the beaten egg and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

On a lightly floured work surface, carefully unfold the puff pastry. Dust the top of the pastry with a little flour. Roll out each sheet, lightly dusting with flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin and work surface, into a 12 inch square. Using a 4 inch round cookie cutter (or the bottom of a 29-oz tomato can as a guide), cut out 18 circles by firmly pressing the cookie cutter or can into the dough, then twisting slightly. Peel away the scraps of extra dough and cover the rounds with plastic wrap while preparing the filling.

For the pumpkin, strawberry and chocolate-nut fillings, combine the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until well blended.

Place about 1 tablespoon of filling on the center of a round. Brush the edge of the dough with the egg. Fold half the dough over the filling to form a half-moon. Using the tines of a fork, press the curved edges to seal tightly. Repeat with the remaining rounds. (At this point the pockets can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 8 hours or frozen for up to 1 month before proceeding.)

Arrange the pockets on the prepared sheet pans, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with the remaining egg and sprinkle evenly (and generously) with the granulated sugar. Bake until pasty is puffed and browned, 15-20 minutes, checking on them frequently after 10 minutes has passed (in case your oven cooks them faster.) Transfer the sheet pats to racks to cool. Serve warm.

Storage: You can bake the pockets up to 6 hours ahead and reheat them in a 300 degree F oven until warm, about 10-15 minutes.

Alternate fillings!

Strawberry Filling:

• 3 cups chopped strawberries
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of table salt

Chocolate Nut Filling:

• 1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup chopped nuts (such as pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts), toasted if desired

Dried Fruit Filling: Cooking instructions below

• 3/4 cup finely chopped mixed dried fruit (such as apricots, figs and cranberries)
• 1 cup orange juice or apple cider
• 1 tbs firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Instructions for the dried fruit filling: Combine the chopped dried fruits in a shallow bowl or dish. Bring the orange juice or cider to a boil in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Pour the boiling liquid over the dried fruits and let sit until they are soft and plumped, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain off and discard the liquid. Add the sugar and nutmeg to the fruit, stir until well blended. Set aside to cool completely.

This recipe is from: The Weekend Baker: Irresistible Recipes, Simple Techniques, and Stress Free Strategies for Busy People by Abigail Johnson Dodge. I checked it out of the library this past weekend and so far have been quite impressed with the collection of delectable and easy recipes!