Things I Eat (Not) Popovers

Today is all about what I can't eat unless I want to have a very crappy. . .mm. . .life shortly after. However, I think everyone should impress someone by making popovers.

Popovers - good for dinner. Good for breakfast. You get to beat, stab and impress all in about an hour. If that. And really, an hour in popover time is like 10 minutes in real people time.

Popover are sort of like muffins but they are hollow on the side do to the (simple) cooking process. This means they are crusty and delicious on the top and on the sides and bottom while have a pocket for you to put in your goodies that is still chewy and bread-y. Bready? Sure.

Alert: Special Equipment
You can Google about people who do not have a popover pan. I got one. I like my popovers to be. . .mm. .tall. How else are you going to cram them with jelly and beef stew and butter and cheese and. .other things? You can't, that's how.

Popover pans are not expensive. You can get them for maybe $12-25 bucks. Here is the basic popover pan on Amazon - Bellemain 6 Cup Nonstick Popover Pan

Yeah - so, that's a popover pan. Dramatic.

What You Need

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter: I used Earth Balance Soy Free Spread
• 3 cups flour: Normal flour. Don't get fancy.
• 3/4 teaspoon salt: Sometimes I use a little more, I won't lie.
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature: The key here is things to not be cold
• 1 cup room-temp milk: I used Rice milk

Optional:
You can season with any seasoning you like. I suggest making them plain the first time and then amping it up. I am a fan of adding onion and garlic powder for something savory.

What You Do
Preheat the oven to 400. You need a hot oven.

Pretty simple - dump everything in a bowl and mix it up. It'll be sort of a thin batter. Ok, ok. First break the eggs and beat them, then add in the milk and butter and then the flour and everything else I forgot. I'm rarely sober for Sunday dinner, so, the dump and beat works just fine. This will probably take you about 5 seconds to do.

In the meantime, you will probably want to lube your pan. I want to say I forgot once or twice and everything was fine. I use the cooking spray or some of the butter. Just get those cups all lubed up. You can even do the super-lazy thing I do when you put a little butter in the cup and then pop the pan in the oven until it melts.

Which brings me to another step - you DO want to warm your pan. Once your oven is 400 or when you are about ready to pour the batter, pre-warm the pan. It doesn't have to be smoking hot, just warm. Warm, people.

Ok, then you fill each cup about 1/2 to 3/4 full - depending on sobriety. Then put them in that over for about 30-35 minutes. You'll see them puff up and get all golden brown. It's amazing. Also don't peak. I peak. You shouldn't.

When you get the pan out, the first thing you need to do (after you pull them out of the pan) is stab them in the side. This will let out the steam in there. Though magic, Jesus or science - whichever you believe in most - the warm pan with the warm stuff in it baking steam up and that makes the hollow inside and muffin top pop. You do want to let that steam out or your popover will get soggy as the steam turns back into ho-hum water.

Serve them pretty quickly after you get them out of the oven. They are best warm. But, not like having a couple around the next day for breakfast is a BAD thing. It's just, they are better warm.

Lucky agrees!

Enjoy! 'Cause I can't.