Popovers

The first time I ever heard of a popover was way back when we lived at old 628 in the university dorms, probably 4 or 5 years ago (I know, I know- not really that long ago, but it seems like ages have passed since then!). My roommate told me about them and said we should make them sometime. I think she described it as some sort of breakfast thing that grew and needed a special pan and were like pancakes made in the oven or something. I was interested, but even though they were mentioned several more times in the following years, nothing ever came of it. Fast forward to a couple of Mondays ago. This same friend and old roommate invited me over for breakfast, and I decided that it was the day to make a popover. How, oh how, could I have waited this long to make something so wonderful?!

I was surprised at how easy the popovers were to make with everything we already had in the kitchen (I love it when I don't have to make extra trips to the store to buy an ingredient), and they were so much more than I even expected. So good, in fact, that I hung around for lunch and made them again, then I made several different kinds the next day at home, and the past two weekends I made them on Saturday and Sunday for breakfast! They are light and crispy, kind of like a pastry, and even though we keep eating them for breakfast, I'm sure they would be wonderful with something like soup. Even though I do not have a popover pan, a muffin pan has worked great as a substitute, and is what I use in the recipe below. Hmm, I have made a lot of popovers recently. I think I might have to invest in a popover pan...

Popovers

Makes 9

1-2 tablespoon butter, cut into 9 pieces

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup milk, at room temperature

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 400° for at least 15 minutes before you make the popovers. Using a muffin tin, put one little piece of butter into 9 slots, and set the pan aside. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs until the yolks and whites are fully incorporated and the mixture is light in color. Mix in the milk and set aside. 

3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour and the salt. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Transfer the batter to a liquid measuring cup so that you can pour it easily. 

4. Place the muffin pan in the hot oven for 4 minutes to preheat. When there is one minute left, give the batter a quick stir. Remove the pan from the oven, and working quickly, fill the 9 muffin slots 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full with the batter. Immediately put the pan back in the oven. 

5. Bake the popovers for 30 minutes, and DO NOT open the oven while they are baking. If you do, they will fall instead of "popping." Serve the popovers immediately with butter, honey, jelly, or whatever you like. Enjoy! 

Source: Found on Epicurious from The Tea Deck: 50 ways to prepare, serve, and enjoy by Sara Perry