Popovers

Last night was our first hard frost. With a chill in the air I decided it might be nice to turn on the oven and warm up the kitchen a bit. I had no idea what popovers were when I met David. I had heard of them, but couldn't tell you what was in them or what they looked like. Now, they have become a weekly staple in our house. David usually makes popovers every Sunday, but he is out of town this weekend. The last time I tried to make popovers myself they turned into little hollow rocks with about as much flavor. This time I took them out of the oven only 5 minutes after turning the heat down and they turned out much better. The inside was the nice custardy texture that I really like. I filled the tins a little higher than recommended and only made 6 rather than the 10 that the recipe is supposed to make in muffin tins. One of these days I will buy a popover pan.

Popovers
from Cook's Illustrated
2/2004

Unlike most popover batters, this one is smooth, not lumpy. High heat is crucial to the speedy, high rise of the popovers. When it's time to fill the popover pan with batter, get the pan out of and back into the oven as quickly as possible, making sure to close the oven door while you pour the batter into the pan. Popovers made in a 12-cup muffin tin won't rise nearly as high as those made in a popover pan, but they can still be quite good. See the variation that follows if you can't locate a popover pan.

Makes 6

2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter , melted
1 tablespoon vegetable oil


1. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until well combined, about 20 seconds. Whisk the flour and salt in a medium bowl and add to the egg mixture; stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just until the flour is incorporated; the mixture will still be lumpy. Add the melted butter. Whisk until the batter is bubbly and smooth, about 30 seconds. Let the batter rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. While the batter is resting, measure 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil into each cup of the popover pan. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place the popover pan in the oven, and heat to 450 degrees. After the batter has rested, pour it into a 4-cup liquid measuring cup or another container with a spout (you will have about 2 cups batter). Working quickly, remove the pan from the oven and distribute the batter evenly among the 6 cups in the pan. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, without opening the oven door. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake until golden brown all over, 15 to 18 minutes more. Invert the pan onto a wire rack to remove the popovers and cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

3. Muffin Tin Popovers
Makes 10
Proceed as above, using a 12-cup muffin tin in place of a popover pan and using only the 10 outer cups of the tin. You will need an extra 2 teaspoons vegetable oil to grease the muffin tin.