Curiosity 60: Popovers

We had our friend Nina over for Christmas dinner. It wasn't anything elaborate—roast beef tenderloin, scalloped potatoes, roasted green beans, popovers, and for dessert, apple crumble pie, with our very own apples (yes, there are many still on the tree)—but it took much of the afternoon bustling around in the kitchen. Time well and enjoyably spent!

When I search for recipes online, I'll often include the qualifier "best"—but in the case of today's popovers, what turned up came with the qualifier "perfect." Okay. Even better!

And wow, they were really good. And since I want to keep the recipe within reach, I'm including it here. Prep time: 5 minutes; cook time: 30 minutes; rest: 15 minutes; total time: 50 minutes.

{Perfect} Popovers

Ingredients

4 large eggs, room temperature before cracking
1 1/2 cups whole milk, lukewarm (about 125°F)
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
3 Tb melted butter, cooled slightly

Instructions

1. Using a blender, blend eggs, milk, and salt; add flour, blending until smooth. Add the melted butter, and continue blending until frothy. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes while oven heat.
2. Set oven temperature to 450°F. Place rack in the bottom third of the oven and another rack in the top position. The popovers will rise, so make sure there is plenty of room between the racks.
3. Place a 6-slot popover pan on a baking sheet, and place on the lower rack of oven while it heats.
4. Spray the hot pan with nonstick cooking spray, then pour the rested batter evenly into the muffin slots, almost to the top.
5. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking for 10 more minutes, until the popovers are a deep golden brown. Do not open the oven door. (In the last few minutes, if they are browning too much, quickly open the door and put a cookie sheet on the upper rack to shield from direct heat.)
6. Remove from oven and pierce the top with a paring knife to release steam and help prevent sogginess.
7. Slip the popovers out of the pan, split open, and serve with butter.

For something a little more savory, stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons of your favorite dried herbs, or mix in a cup of shredded cheese with the flour mixture.

Although fresh out of the oven is the preferred mode of consumption, they can be made in advance (as we needed to today, since oven space was at a premium). In that case, rewarm/recrisp at 350°F for 5–10 minutes before serving. They can also be frozen, in an airtight bag; again, to reheat, take straight from the freezer and pop into a 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes.