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Perfect Popovers - Never Fail Popovers
Imagine - perfect popovers that never fail! The addition of baking powder is the secret to this recipe.
I like to use the heavy metal Teflon-lined
popover pans. I find that these pans heats up and retains heat longer than glass. Large muffin tins may be substituted,
but the shape and height won't be the same. A popover pan is designed to concentrate the heat into the popovers and
allow air to circulate around the popovers. A popover pan will make for taller popovers.
Recipe Type:
Quick Bread
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
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Makes 6 Popovers: |
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Makes 12 Popovers: |
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The key to making great popovers is having the eggs and milk at room temperature or
warm before mixing. It is also important to let the batter sit for an hour
before baking it. Popovers do not freeze well and pre-made batter has a
tendency not to work properly the next day.
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1 3/4 cups whole milk or half-and-half, warmed
2 cups bread
flour*
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon
baking powder
3 large
eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard |
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3 1/2 cups whole milk or half-and-half, warmed
4 cups bread
flour*
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon
baking powder
6 large
eggs, room temperature
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard |
* Bread flour is a high-protein flour. The high protein help the popovers
rise. All-purpose flour may be substituted but the results won't be as spectacular.
Preparation
Place the milk in a bowl and microwave on high for approximately 1 1/2 minutes, or until warm
to the touch. Spoon the flour into a cup and level it off with a knife (do not shake the cup to settle the flour).
In a large bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together
In a blender
combine the eggs, milk, melted butter, and Dijon mustard; process
approximately 10 seconds until blended.
If you are making
the 12 popover batch, you will need to blend in two separate batches, as the
blender bowl is not large enough.
Add flour mixture to egg
mixture in blender. Process approximately 10 to 15 seconds or until just
combined. Only mix the batter until
small lumps are left in it, to reduce the risk of over mixing the batter. Scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula, if
necessary.
Let batter rest for 60 minutes before pouring into the popover cups.
DO NOT refrigerate the batter.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place oven rack
on the middle rack and heat a empty
popover pan for 5 minutes, or until it is hot.
Once oven is
the correct temperature and the empty
popover pan is hot, quickly remove the popover pan from the oven; lightly spray the popover cups with a nonstick
spray (the tins only need a thin coating of baking spray to prevent sticking).
Fill the popover
cups almost to the top with the batter.
If you leave one of the cups of the popover pan empty, fill it half
full of water (this will help protect the pan from the high heat). Immediately place the pan back into the oven.
Bake
without opening the door for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. and
bake for another 20 to 25 minutes or until deep golden brown on the outside
and airy on the inside. Under baking can cause popovers to collapse after
they’re removed from the oven. Resist
the urge to open the oven door. If you open the oven door, the heat escapes,
the oven cools down, the steam inside the popovers condenses, and the
popovers collapse.
Remove popovers from the oven, and unmold
onto a rack. Popovers should pull away from the pan easily; if not, use a
dull-bladed knife to nudge them from the pan.
Pierce the sides with the tip of a sharp knife to let steam
escape (this will keep the exterior crisp, the interior moist, and
prevent the popovers from collapsing), and serve immediately with lots of butter.
Popover Variation Ideas - Try Some Creative Popover Variations:
Bacon and Asiago Cheese Popovers:
Add 3 strips of cooked and crumbled bacon and 1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese to the batter.
Cheese Popovers:
Crumble a 3/4-inch cube of cheese (of your choice) in the bottom
of each popover pan before pouring in the batter.
Chocolate Popovers: Add 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to the
batter.
Lemon-Pecan Popovers:
Add 2 tablespoons finely-grated lemon rind (zest) and 1/4 cup finely-chopped pecans.
Parmesan-Herb Popovers: Add 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese and
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme to the batter.
Parmesan-Chive Popovers:
Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons chopped chives to the batter.
Parmesan-Pepper Popovers:
Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoon coarsely-ground black pepper to the batter.
Pesto Popovers: Add
3 tablespoons pesto to the batter.
Poppy Seed Popovers:
Add 1 tablespoon poppy seeds to the batter.
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