Popovers (The Brits call them Yorkshire Pudding.) are a simple, wonderful treat to upgrade any meal, or all by themselves for a snack. I have enjoyed them all of my life. It was only recently that I learned how simple they are to make. Most recipes are for one or two dozen. There are only two of us, now, so that would be far too many. They are best served fresh and hot, so we would either end up wasting food or having to wait for a special occasion with a larger gathering. So this recipe is for six popovers, which is just the right number for two. The recipe is so simple that I have made them to go with breakfast, lunch or dinner.
It is important to follow the recipe and to pay attention to temperatures in order for them to turn out right. Chemistry is involved.
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs, preferably at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk, preferably at room temperature
- 1/2 cup flour. I use unbleached all-purpose flour.
- olive oil
Directions:
Start the oven heating to 450° F. (If you forgot to leave the eggs out of the refrigerator to warm while you were taking your shower, you may want to set them on the back of the stove top to let the venting oven warm them a bit.)
Get your muffin tin out and oil 6 of the cups. I spray my tin. Refillable pump bottles are available which are more environmentally friendly than the aerosol type. Just be sure to give all of the cups you are going to use a generous coating. Then place it in the oven to preheat.
In a small mixing bowl or pan, whisk the eggs and salt until they are just mixed and a uniform yellow. Don’t overdo it. Add the milk and whisk together with the eggs and salt. Then mix in the flour until the batter is smooth with few to no lumps.
Once the oven comes to temperature, use hot pads to remove the muffin tin from the oven. The oil may look scorched. This is normal. Carefully pour the batter into 6 cups, trying to distribute it evenly. The cups should be slightly more than half full. There should be enough oil in the cups for it to climb up the sides of the tin enough for you to see it.
Place the tin in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. At 15 minutes, reduce the oven temp to 325° F. Look at the popovers, which are now puffed up tall. Decide how dark and crispy you want them to be and set your timer accordingly. My mom, B.J., made popovers that were dark and crunchy on the outside. We prefer ours golden brown and a bit softer. For softer, you make bake for as little as 5 additional minutes. For crunchy , bake for an additional 15 minutes.
After you make them a couple of times you will learn how your oven acts and what your preference is.
We serve them hot. We have our knives and butter ready! Most of the time they have holes in the bottom and we put a knifeful of butter in there , squeeze it a bit to help it melt, then munch it down. It’s good to have cloth napkins to clean up the flowing butter off of our faces and hands. These are a great side for bacon and eggs or next to a good soup or stew.
If you are having a party or have a larger family, just multiply the recipe for as many as you need.
Enjoy!