Is Pop Coming Over?

There's just something about a popover!

Baking popovers takes me back to a time when things were much simpler, much slower paced. A time when baking and feeding our loved ones was much more a part of our everyday lives. I guess that's why every time I make popovers I feel comforted, I feel like I am baking up a big warm hug for me and my family.

Every time I make them it amazes me how such a simple batter can turn into such magnificence. So impressive to bring to the table these huge puffed up muffins of eggy bread.

I have tried a few different recipes. Some tell you the trick is to start them in a cold oven, some say a warm oven. Well the best recipe I have found says to start them in a hot oven and to heat the popover pan before you put the batter in. There are a few other tricks I have learned along the way.

~ In order to get a good size popover it is best to use a popover pan which is much deeper than a muffin pan. But if you don't want to invest in a popover pan, a muffin pan will work.

~Always make sure you grease your popover pan.

~Make sure the batter is at room temp.

~And no matter what you do DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN! This can result in collapsed popovers! Not to pretty when you are bringing them to the table.

~You can add a few tablespoons of sugar for sweeter popovers. You can also add cinnamon or other spices depending on what you serve them with.

~Its best to serve them right away, hot form the oven. They do tend to deflate after a while.

This recipe is adapted from Bonnie Wolfs book, Talking With My Mouth Full. It is a fun book to read about food stories and also has really great recipes.

Magnificent Popovers

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 tsp. salt

3 large eggs at room temp.

1 1/4 cups milk at room temp.

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Whisk together the flour and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs and the milk. Add the eggs and milk to the dry ingredients, until it is the consistency of heavy cream. Pour into a liquid measuring cup and let sit on counter for 1/2- 1 hour.

Grease your popover pan and preheat it in the oven for around three minutes, until its very hot. Pour the batter into popover cups until half full. Bake for 20 minutes, then lower the oven to 350F. and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer. Remember, do not open the oven until they are completely done. They should be beautifully browned and crispy.

The last time I made these for the kids I was trying to get Abraham to try one. You know how two year olds can be about food. And in Abe's case unless it looks like a waffle he wants nothing to do with it.

So I said "Abe, Do you want a popover?"

He just looked at me with this blank stare on his face. "Is Pop coming over?"

"No, Pop came over for breakfast, he was already here today.

A while later, "Abe I really wish you would just try a popover."

Abe's reply, again with a blank look on his face, "When is Pop coming over?"

It literally went like this for a good five minutes until Cyndee and I realized every time we asked him if he wanted a popover he thought we were saying Pop was coming over (Pop is what he calls my dad!) We got a good chuckle out of it and also felt very stupid for not catching on sooner!

Popovers are delicious served with roasted chicken or roast beef. You can use the drippings from the roast beef to grease your popover pans and you have Yorkshire Pudding. They would be wonderful to go with chicken a la king or creamed eggs or tuna (a few of Cyndee's favorites). And like I said in my previous post, popovers are sooo goood served with homemade raspberry jam.