A month or two ago I had the pleasure of dining at the exclusive corporate headquarters of the Hearst publishing empire. It was a private dining room on the 44th floor, and a waiter brought in a giant golden thing as big as my daughter’s head and put it on my bread plate. Hungry woman that I am, I ate it. After two bites, I couldn’t help but say to my lunch partner, “This is delicious! What is it?!” She pulled out the menu and turned it over, and replied that it was the famous Good Housekeeping popover—and the recipe was printed on the other side of the menu! I slipped it into my purse (the recipe, not the popover!) and vowed to make them myself.
In an epic moment of amazing wonderment, my fabulous assistant, Bernadette Eckhart, gave me popover pans for Christmas. And so, two nights before Christmas, I made popovers for dinner (yes, just popovers). I wanted to try the pans out, and I didn’t feel like cooking a big meal, plus we were cleaning out the fridge before the big Christmas cooking marathon that loomed over the next few days. The popovers were amazing. They were immediately devoured! And they were universally loved by all. It was a true Christmas moment.
I made them again last night for dinner, along with a beef barley soup. They really do “pop over.” One even popped right out of the pan! They were just as delicious the second time I made them. There were two left over, and today before lunch, there were crying fits over who got to eat them. Suffice it to say that by the time I went in the kitchen to figure out why everyone was crying, the popovers were all gone—and then I had to cry, too!
But the truth is, they are easy to make. The hardest part is not opening the oven door while they are cooking. (Don’t do it!) I am going to share the Good Housekeeping recipe here (with permission). I’ve found my oven cooks them faster than this recipe calls for. All my ingredients are organic, of course. Enjoy!
Good Housekeeping’s Famous Popovers
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease 8 deep, 7-ounce pottery custard cups (I use regular popover pans). Set the greased custard cups into a jellyroll pan for easier handling (which you don’t have to do if you are using regular popover pans).
3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs until frothy using a mixer at low speed, then beat in the milk and butter. (I just use a whisk—uses less electricity!). At low speed, beat the flour and salt into the egg, milk, and butter mixture. Pour about ¾ cup of the batter into each of the greased custard cups.
4. Bake for 1 hour. Make a slit in each to let out steam; bake for 10 minutes more. Immediately remove the popovers from the cups (unless they’ve already popped out!). Serve hot with butter curls (which, honestly, aren’t really necessary).
My Mom and Grandma made popovers when I was little and I have made them for years and I just use muffin pans and they work. We love them along with spaghetti instead of Italian bread. Lighter and when they are hot out of the oven they are wonderful!
Any chance you would provide the nutritional information on these? Or maybe I really don’t want to know? Has anyone experimented with trying to make them less “sinful”? Thank you! 🙂
Yeah, can we at least use skim milk, or part egg-beaters for calorie watchers going not-totally organic?
All that butter, eggs and milk divided by eight seems like a lot.
Maybe with the muffin tins it makes smaller ones, maybe 12?
I used 2% & country crock in deep muffin pan – I even cot the recipe in half & they were great. It’s a forgiving recipe. Experiment & enjoy.
I received a children’s cookbook when I was five that included a recipe for popovers. Both the cookbook and popovers became lasting favorites. There is something magical about watching popovers grow crazy-tall in through the oven door! This recipe uses fewer eggs and no butter but what you would use for greasing the pan and turns out yummily delicous. Of course, I’m going to be trying Maria’s recipe ASAP. I’m so totally a firm believer in the “more butter, more bacon, more good” philosophy!
Grease 12-count muffin pan and put a refrigerator to get cold. Mix in a bowl:
4 eggs
1-1/3 cup milk
1-1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon + pinch of salt
This will be lumpy. Fill muffin pan cups 1/2 full. Put in a COLD oven. Set to 450 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes. DON’T PEEK! Consume immediately slathered with butter, jam or honey (although they are awfully good plain, too).
~ Amanda
(www.mmmmmama.blogspot.com)
I have always wanted to make popovers. I even toyed with the idea of buying a popover pan for years until I found out that a muffin pan works just as well. Still haven’t made them, but I most certainly will as soon as I make myself a nice big pot of chicken soup, or any kind of soup for that matter. I have several recipes for popovers, but I am certain to make these asap! I can taste them now. I too am trying to ease off the butter and eggs this year. Let’s see how it goes.
Thanks for a slimmed down version Amanda. I really appreciate it. Will try this version first.
Wow…I haven’t had popovers since I was a kid. Thanks for the great recipes…I think I’ll put them on the menu this weekend. I don’t believe I’ve ever made them for my household. Popovers, hot soup and movies…sounds like a winner of a weekend to me!
I can’t bieleve I’ve been going for years without knowing that.
I can remember when I was young, perhaps 8 or 9
years, being at my Aunt Marie’s house after a sleep over. It was Sunday morning and something special was on the agenda in the kitchen.. Out comes my dear auntie with smaller popovers filled with chocolate pudding or lemon pudding..They were warm and fragrant and the family could have their choice. It created a wonderful memory I treasure to this day. Hers were made in a wood stove on the farm. The oven door had no window in it. I am 71 years of age.