Popovers - BWJ

By norsegal8

From their name, which inspires smiles, to their puffing power, popovers have magical appeal. Many of us have fond memories of the messy thrill of eating popovers dripping with butter and honey. Here's a method that turns out beautifully puffed popovers with golden crowns, crispy crusts and custardy interiors.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole or 2% milk, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• melted butter, for greasing the muffin cups

Preparation

Step 1

Position a rack on the lowest rung of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F. Butter or spray nine ¾-cup glass custard cups or ten ½-cup muffin cups. If you are using custard cups, place them on a jelly roll pan, leaving space between each cup. If you are using muffin pans, you’ll need to use two 12-hole muffin pans because, to give the popovers ample sir circulation, you won’t be filling all the holes. Using you melted butter set aside for this purpose, brush each muffin pan or custard cup with the melted butter.
Pour all the ingredients into a blender and whirl around until smooth. Strain the batter if it is at all lumpy.

BAKING THE POPOVERS
For the custard cups, pour 1/3 cup of batter into each cup, dividing any extra batter between the cups. For the muffin pans, use ¼ cup of batter for each cup, filling alternating cups in each tin so that every popover has puffing space. Bake, without opening the oven door, for 25 minutes, until the popovers are puffed, nicely browned and crisp on the exterior. Turn the temperature down to 350°F, and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes to help dry out the interior, which, no matter what you do, will always be a little doughy in the center. (Some people love this part, others pull it out.) Serve immediately.

STORING
Popovers are at their puffiest right out of the oven. You can hold them at room temperature for a few minutes, or wrap them airtight, freeze them for up to a month, and reheat them in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, and they will taste good – but never as good as just baked.