Popovers: A Love Affair

I've made these popovers three times in two weeks, so it must be love.

How on earth did I go so long without a good popover recipe?  I remember my first taste of the light, hollow rolls at Jordan Pond House Restaurant in Bar Harbor, Maine, on a family vacation at least ten years ago.  They serve their famous popovers with tea and a variety of jams, and it was fantastic-- they were buttery and crispy on the outside, and warm and soft inside.

The trouble is, my mom and I have tried them over the years since then with no success-- our popovers just wouldn't pop.  So when they were served, to my great delight, as appetizers at a recent brunch at Pauline's Cafe in Burlington, Vermont, I had renewed interest in seeking out a recipe that actually worked.  I've discovered oven temperature is really important when baking popovers-- open the oven while they're rising, and the dough will just deflate.  (That's probably why our homemade popovers always failed; I always had to take a peek in at them!)

So here is my favorite new recipe of the moment, and it really is quite easy to throw together.  I love to fill them with apricot preserves and eat any time of the day, or make scrambled eggs and bacon to accompany them for breakfast.

Popovers

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons sugar

cinnamon (optional)

1 cup milk

1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon melted butter

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Generously butter your popover molds (this recipe usually makes 10-12 popovers), and put the unfilled molds in the oven to heat-- that's important; it helps them pop!

Combine the flour, sugar, and a decent sprinkle of cinnamon in a mixing bowl.  Whisk in all the wet ingredients until the batter is smooth.  

Remove the popover molds from the oven and fill each mold about halfway with batter.  Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees (without opening the oven door) and bake another 15-20 minutes.  They should be puffed and brown, and you can take a quick peek in towards the end if you need to check on them.  Serve them right away; they are best fresh and hot!

(Note: I have also added orange zest into the batter to give them more flavor, which was very good.  You can personalize your popovers by adding in other zests, as well.)