Popovers

The first time I ever had popovers was the summer Brad popped the question. I had just finished my junior year of college and it was a beautiful day at Longwood Gardens, when he pulled out a ring and asked me to be his wife. 

Upon going home to my parents, I began wedding planning right away. And one of the first things I did was look for a place for the reception. The winner was the Lincklaen House, an old refurbished inn in nearby Cazenovia. This small village, set on Cazenovia Lake, used to be a vacation destination for the wealthy a hundred years or so ago. 

My mom, sister and I walked into the Linckalen for lunch that June to assess the food and discuss menu options. It wasn't very crowded, there were only a few patrons sitting at small square tables. A breeze came through the open doors and the clinking of cutlery on plates could be heard from the outdoor patio. We sat there admiring the old woodwork, checkerboard tile floor and vintage feel, a feeling of anticipation and apprehension in our smiles. 

The server came by to fill our water glasses and offer the customary small plate of bread to pick at while we waited for our meal. Except it wasn't the usual variety of sourdough and whole wheat slices. Instead, we were given large, crusty-golden balloons that looked like they had mushroomed dramatically out of their pan. Upon piercing, these popovers released a cloud of steam and revealed a mostly-empty, wispy inside. The honey butter that accompanied it melted almost instantaneously upon contact with the hot bread and dripped lavishly down the sides and onto our hands. They were decidedly eggy and not overly sweet  and our eyes rolled with pleasure as we licked our fingers and possessively eyed the last one in the basket.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I recently started making popovers at home and they are so delicious. Apart from being super easy, they are also super impressive and quite fun for little helpers to watch the dramatic rise in the oven. 

Popovers

Makes 6 (in a muffin tin)

Total Time: 1 hour

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1 - 2 T. butter

Before you begin assembling ingredients, turn oven on to 450 degrees and place an empty muffin tin or popover pan inside.

Whisk together eggs and milk.

Whisk in flour and salt until incorporated. Let sit for 30 minutes while oven preheats. 

After batter has sat for 30 minutes, remove muffin tin and place a little bit of butter (about 1/2 tsp) in each of the 6 middle cups. Wait till it melts and then portion out the batter into the cups. They should be pretty full.

If you use a popover pan, the recipe will make 2 - 4 popovers depending on how full you fill them.

And of course, be so careful. That pan is HOT.

Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees and then turn down to 375 for 20 - 30 minutes. 

I usually do 20 minutes, but you can do a bit longer if you want them to be more set.

Popovers will "pop" out of the pans, doubling in size.

When you remove them from the oven, they will immediately start to deflate. 

Poke a small hole in each with a paring knife to let some of the steam escape.

To serve, cut them open and slather with honey butter or your favorite jam.

Recipe from Ratios: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking.