Poppy has little time or patience for complicated baking—an inclination I share! Popovers are a great compromise, as they are ridiculously easy to make and ridiculously good.
Poppy’s Popovers (yields about 6 popovers)
You’ll need:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
Topping (optional)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• a dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray muffin tin with nonstick spray or butter and sprinkle with flour. (I like the spray for the easy factor.)
2. In a bowl, begin to whisk eggs; add in flour, milk, and salt, and beat until it just turns smooth. Do not over-beat; your popovers will be resentful and tough if you do! Fill up each muffin cup until halfway full–the popovers are going to rise. (Like, a lot.)
3. Bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees F, then lower oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake 20 minutes more, until golden brown and puffy.
4. Meanwhile, for topping, mix the sugar, cinnamon, and dash of cayenne pepper—this is hot stuff and you only want a hint of it—in a shallow bowl and stir until combined. Melt butter in another bowl and set aside.
5. Remove popovers from the muffin pan, being careful not to puncture them. Then brush with melted butter and roll them in the sugar mix, shaking off the excess. Serve immediately.
Inspector Lane likes to add a dollop of raspberry jam and feed them to his wife in the comfort of their bed. He claims they make Poppy quite agreeable… Ahem. You, however, might like to enjoy them with a cup of tea and a good book!
From the desk of R.C. Ryan
Dear Reader,
To me there’s nothing sexier than a strong, handsome hunk with a soft spot for kids and animals. That’s why, in Book 3 of my Wyoming Sky series, I decided that my hero, Jake Conway, would be a veterinarian, as well as the town heartthrob. Now, who could I choose to play the love interest of a charming cowboy who has all the females from sixteen to sixty sighing? Why not a smart, cool, sophisticated, Washington, D.C. lawyer who looks, as Jake describes her, “as out of place as a prom dress at a rodeo”? Better yet, just to throw Meg Stanford even more off her stride, why not add a surprise half-brother with whom she has absolutely nothing in common?
I had such fun watching these two try every possible way to deny the attraction.
But there’s so much more to their story than a hot romance. There’s also the fact that someone wants to harm Meg and her little half-brother. And what about the mystery that has haunted the Conway family for twenty-five years? The disappearance of Seraphine, mother of Quinn, Josh, and Jake, chronicled in Books 1 and 2, will finally be resolved in Book 3.
In writing the stories of Quinn, Josh, and Jake, I completely lost my heart to this strong, loving family, and I confess I had mixed emotions as I wrote the final chapter.
I hope all of my readers will enjoy the journey. I guarantee you a bumpy but exhilarating ride.
Happy Reading!
RyanLangan.com
Twitter, @RuthRyanLangan
Facebook.com
From the desk of Margaret Mallory
Dear Reader,
Ilysa is in love with her older brother’s best friend. Sad to say, the lass doesn’t have a chance with him.
As her clan chieftain, Connor MacDonald is the sixteenth-century Highland equivalent of a pro quarterback, movie star, Special Forces hero, and CEO all rolled into one. And the handsome, black-haired warrior never even noticed Ilysa before his unexpected rise to the chieftainship.
Other women, who are always attempting to lure Connor into bed—and failing, by the way—are drawn to him by his status, handsome face, and warrior’s body. While no lass with a pulse could claim to be unaffected by Connor’s devastating looks, Ilysa loves him for his noble heart. Connor MacDonald would give his life for the lowliest member of their clan, and Ilysa would give hers for him.
Connor MacDonald is the hope of his clan, a burden that weighs upon every decision he makes. Since becoming chieftain, he has devoted himself to raising his people from the ashes. With the help of his cousins (in The Guardian and The Sinner) and his best friend (in The Warrior), he has survived murder attempts by his own kin, threats from royals and rebels, and attacks by other clans. Now all that remains to secure his clan’s future is to take back the lands that were stolen