The popover is a culinary marvel, a loose batter that, with the aid of a hot oven, expands like a golden cumulus cloud, producing a crisp, hollow pastry with a soft, eggy interior. While the mixture is very similar to crepe batter, when you confine it to deep, narrow, muffinlike molds, the surface of the batter sets and the air is trapped, so that the pastry has nowhere to go but up and out, creating a gravity-defying bubble.
Heatter’s version ran in The Times in 1966 with an article by Craig Claiborne, just before she became renowned for her baking. (Claiborne wrote about her at least a dozen more times.)
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, for greasing the molds
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 cups sifted flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
224 calories; 11 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 134 milligrams cholesterol; 297 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
10 popovers
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease 10 4-ounce heatproof pottery custard cups (or a muffin or popover pan) with butter. Arrange the cups (or muffin or popover pan) on a baking sheet.
- Beat the eggs lightly, then add the milk and melted butter and stir to combine. Gradually stir in the flour and salt. Beat just until the mixture is smooth. Do not overbeat. If the mixture is not smooth, strain it.
- Pour the mixture into a pitcher and then pour into the custard cups. Fill the cups almost to the top.
- Bake for 50 minutes. Do not open the oven door during baking.
- After 50 minutes, remove the popovers from the oven, cut several slits in the top of each and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Immediately remove the popovers from the cups.
1 hour 15 minutes
Dining and Cooking