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My husband and I ‘popped’ into the mall the other day and happened to walk by a kitchen store. While I normally just walk on by (yeah right), this store was clearing out their entire inventory and will reopen as a different kitchen store in April. Don’t you just love a good deal? I certainly do and when I saw popover pans on sale for 50% off the already marked down price, well you know I had to buy one. I try not to buy too many specialty pans like the Madeline cookie and donut pans I have sitting on the shelf. Had I known what I know now, I may have paid full price for this popover pan.
Popovers are magical and made with normal pantry ingredients. Based on my research they are highly adaptable and sometimes include herbs, cheese, or sugar and cinnamon. Did you know you can add Prime Rib drippings and make Yorkshire puddings? Some say popovers are just an American version of Yorkshire pudding. Whatever, I love these things!
This recipe includes a healthy portion of Gruyére Cheese which is a slightly salty, almost sweet, yellow cheese. The flavor of Gruyére varies greatly depending on the age. I used an older, aged cheese that has a more assertive, intense and complex flavor. For this recipe I would buy the good stuff. You know everything gets better with age, like me!
Heating the pan in a very hot oven is key to making popovers ‘pop’ out of the pan.
Mine turned out like telescopes, rising up out of the pan, then taking a left.
Look at the yummy cheese – these things are wonderfully delicious, easy, fun and interesting. I’m not sure if this is typical but when I pulled them out of the pan I thought they would go all the way to the bottom. But several only had a little nub underneath. How funny. I could actually see them rise in the oven. I was mesmerized and watched them for a long time. I should have just pulled up a chair. I wonder what makes them ‘pop’ and crawl out of the pan like that?
Served warm from the oven, you can slather them with butter or other spreads, but I don’t think they need anything. The cheese flavor is perfect with the egg-y bread.
A light hollow middle means these were a success! Since they are light and not very dense, I guess I could eat two, or three – you know while they are warm – yum~!
Gruyére Popovers
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
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Cheesy and flaky and so delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 ounces aged Gruyére cheese, grated
Instructions
Place a 6-cup popover can in the bottom third of an oven. Place a baking sheet on the rack underneath to catch any drips. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Sift together the flour and salt through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, about 2 minutes.
Pour the milk into a small saucepan and heat on medium-high until the milk just starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and slowly drizzle the milk into the beaten eggs, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking. Keep slowly adding the milk until it is all incorporated into the eggs. Gradually whisk in the flour mixture just until blended.
Remove the popover pan from the oven (it should have preheated at least 15 minutes) and spray the cups with a nonstick vegetable spray. Divide the batter between the 6 cups filling them about three-fourths full. Sprinkle each cup of batter with 1/6th of the grated cheese.
Immediately return the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Quickly open the oven and rotate the pan 180°F, then reduce the oven to 350°F. Continue baking the popovers until puffed and browned, about 35 minutes. Do not open the oven again after rotating the pan.
Remove the popovers from the pan and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Recipe may be doubled easily. If baking in the same pan be sure to wipe out any excess fat from the cups before adding new batter. Also preheat the pan in the same manner mentioned above.
- Recipe adapted from BLT Steak via Williams-Sonoma
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
Nutrition
Calories: 241kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 687mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 352IU | Calcium: 230mg | Iron: 2mg
FAQs
The key to perfect popovers is using a popover pan. The cylindrical walls of popover cups are straight rather than angled like those in a regular muffin tin, accentuating their puffy, mushroomed tops by forcing the batter up out of the slim space.
How do you preserve popovers? ›
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions
- Store any leftover popovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Freeze cooled popovers in a freezer-safe container for up to a month. ...
- Reheat from frozen or refrigerated in a microwave or toaster oven until warmed through and crispy on the outside.
Freezing Popovers: Freeze baked popovers in an airtight bag or container for up to three months. To re-heat, place the popovers directly from the freezer into a 350° oven and bake until warm and crispy, about 8 minutes.
What makes popovers puff up? ›
What makes popovers pop? Unlike cake or bread, popovers use neither baking powder/baking soda nor yeast to provide leavening. Steam is the engine that makes them rise — and rise, and rise!
Why do popovers fail? ›
Too cold and you won't get the popovers to steam internally quickly enough. But be aware that you shouldn't make it too hot. If your milk and/or butter is hot enough to cook the eggs while mixing, the batter won't rise. Best to use all warm ingredients in the 40-50 degrees celsius (100-120 fahrenheit) range.
Should popover batter be cold or room temp? ›
Let batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour. While batter is resting, place popover pan on a rimmed baking sheet and place on center rack of oven. Preheat to 450°F. (Preheat for at least 20 minutes to be sure temperature has been reached, or use an oven thermometer.)
Can you make popovers ahead and reheat? ›
We like to make popovers in large batches and then reheat the leftovers the next day or two. These popovers taste best warm out of the oven and even better when topped with with a smear of butter, jam, or apple butter.
Can you make popovers ahead of time and reheat? ›
They are still edible after a day, but they don't taste as fresh. Reheat them on a baking sheet at 350°F for five to 10 minutes.
How long can you leave popovers out? ›
Popovers are best when eaten straight out of the oven as they start to lose their height and crispness as they sit out. However, if you have leftovers, allow them to fully cool before transferring them to an airtight container. You can leave them at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
Can popover batter sit overnight? ›
Increase the speed to medium-low and beat for 20 to 30 seconds, or just until the batter is smooth but there will be a few little lumps at the bottom. 3) Allow the batter to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking or, preferably. cover and refrigerate it for 24 up to 48 hours.
Yorkshire Pudding/ Popovers
Yorkshire Puddings are a staple in England with a Roast Dinner. Here in the US we know them as Popovers which are the same thing as the modern Yorkshire Pudding, except using a different pan.
Is it necessary to poke the popover when it comes out of the oven? ›
Remove from oven:
Popovers lose their crunch if they linger in the pan, so turn them out on a wire rack immediately and poke a small opening in the side of each with a paring knife to let the steam escape.
What do you eat with popovers? ›
Almost anything you like. You can make cheesy popovers and serve them with savory dishes, or plain popovers served with butter and jam. You can fill them with chicken salad, or serve them with a steaming bowl of soup, or alongside scrambled eggs or an omelette.
Why are my popovers not fluffy? ›
Usually, the batter consists of a simple egg, milk, and flour mix but if you add too much flour, the batter will be too dense and your popovers won't have the power to rise.
Are popovers supposed to be eggy? ›
Oh, the dilemma that so often stems from baking popovers — those hollowed rolls with a contrasting crunchy, flaky exterior and moist, eggy interior. They are the American relative to the British Yorkshire pudding, an evolution of the latter that disregards the use of beef drippings in the pan (and instead uses butter).
Should you let popover batter rest? ›
Whisk in the butter, and let the batter rest for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the little lumps will have risen to the top. Give the batter a few more good licks with the whisk to recombine. Grease a standard muffin tin.
Why don't my popovers pop? ›
If you are having problems with popovers not popping, try decreasing your flour or adding an egg if you have already tried all the other tricks and you are sure that, like me, you are doing everything right.
How do you stop popovers from deflating? ›
An additional trick for keeping popovers crisp is to gently poke a hole in the side of each one with a sharp knife when you remove it from the pan to allow extra team to escape without deflating the crust dome.
Does popover batter have to rest? ›
There's just one thing that will make the popovers better, and that's time. The batter needs time to rest before baking so that it creates a more tender popover in the end. So, cover the batter and pop it into the refrigerator for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.
