‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 …. Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (2024)

‘My Yellow Farmhouse Popovers’ – Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside

++ UPDATE – – It’s ironic, sometimes, how something small may turn into something rather special. I had a huge urge for popovers, so I started preparing some about 9:00 tonight. A really good neighbor/friend who NEVER comes over late showed up…. with some problems. Let me tell you – two of these popovers, smothered in butter, and a glass of red wine – plus a good chat – seemed to be exactly what was needed!!

This is the final recipe of ‘The Popover Experiment’. I hope my little experiment enticed you to not only make popovers, but also to try a bit of experimenting on your own.As it turns out, these particular popovers – which I’m calling ‘My Yellow Farmhouse Popovers’ – are my favorites. My neighbor Frank, who’s sometimes a bit hard to please, said these are his favorites too. And I quote…”.. best popover yet. Nice buttery flavor, crispy on the outside and smooth & chewy on the inside.” Thanks Frank !!

I adapted this popover recipe from one featured onFLEUR de SEL, one of my favorite blogs.(The original recipe comes from Neiman Marcus.) FLEUR de SEL‘spopovers look yummy, so check out her recipe as part of your own ‘Popover Experiment’. (Mine look a bit “weird” compared to hers!) http://fleurdeselsf.com/2013/10/08/popovers-with-strawberry-butter/

If you’ve been following ‘The Popover Experiment’, you know I sometimes mess up when it comes to lowering the oven temperature approximately half way through the baking time…. well…. I did it AGAIN. The original recipe calls for the temperature to be lowered to 375F, yet, once again, I set the temperature at 350F. No matter, the popovers turned out great. I also changed the cooking time at 350F down to 20 minutes. The popovers looked done after 20 minutes at 350F – a nice dark, golden brown – so I took them out!

Tip !!If using older popover pans without nonstick coating, butter each section.

Tip !!If using muffin tins or ramekins, butter each section. You’re going to have too much batter for a six-cup muffin pan, so use a 12-cup pan. Fill each section 1/3 full, and fill any empty sections with water. The popovers won’t be as big as those made in the new style popover pans but they’ll be wonderful.

Yield – 6 popovers, if using a popover tin. 8 to 10 popovers,if using ramekins/muffin tin.

Ingredients & Method

+ Grease pans – recipe contains NO BUTTER !!

+ Oven at 450F for…. 15 minutes Then lower heat to 350F…. for 20 – 25 minutes

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 3/4 cup whole milk (You can try 2% if you wish but I recommend whole milk.)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. baking POWDER

‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 …. Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (1)Put some verywarm water in a small bowl and place in the 3 eggs. Allow the eggs to sit in the water while you organize your ingredients.

Warm up 1 3/4 cups milk a bit in the microwave and set aside. (You don’t want the milk HOT, you’re just trying to take the chill out.)

In another bowl, stir together 2 cups flour, 3/4 tsp. salt & 1/2 tsp. baking POWDER.

‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 …. Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (2)Remove the eggs from the warm water and break into a small bowl.(I suggest using a small bowl because the small size helps incorporateair into the eggs.) Beat eggs on HIGH speed for 3 minutes. The eggs will become foamy with a light lemon color.

Pour the well-beaten eggs into a large bowl. With the mixer now set on LOW, stir in the warmed milk. Mix the eggs and milk briefly. With the mixer again set on LOW, gradually combine the flour/salt/baking powder mixture.

Raise the mixer speed to MEDIUM and continue to beat for 2 minutes longer. By this time the batter will have become slightly thicker & nice and smooth.

‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 …. Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (3)Fill the 6 GREASED sections of your popover pan equally – they’ll be about 3/4’s of the way full.

Now this is important – and I didn’t remember to do it!

++ Place a baking sheet on the lower shelf below the popovers. (To help with clean up, you might want to cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil.)

If you don’t place the pan on a baking sheet, you’ll end up will some lovely spills on the bottom of your oven – like I did !

Place your pan – set on a baking sheet – into the center of a 450F preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350F and bake for another 20 minutes. ++ Don’t be surprised if there’s a lot of steam coming out your oven vent when you bake these popovers. ++ If you popovers don’t look browned enough – bake for another 5 minutes. Ovens vary, so always be prepared to be flexible!

Pierce popovers with a sharp knife once you remove them from the oven so the steam can vent, then remove them from the pan. (I like to lay the popovers on their side to cool.) These are excellent at room temperature but, of course, they’re always best eaten right out of the oven.

‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 …. Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (4)Here’s an idea for a lovely fruit butter you can spread on your nice, warm popovers. Believe me, I sure had a Happy Tummy when I was eating a few of these.

Beat 1 stick softened butter until light & fluffy. Add 1/4 cup preserves. I used cherry preserves but you could use strawberry or blueberry or even orange marmalade. Enjoy!!

+

‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 …. Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (5)

‘The Popover Experiment’ – Recipe No. 3 ….  Chewy Outside – Fluffy & Moist Inside (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to popovers? ›

The keys to baking popovers are to use a high oven temperature (I prefer 425° F) and to not disturb them (by opening the oven) during the process. I know, I know—I like to peek in on my baked goods, too. But this is one time you really should try to resist.

What is the science behind popovers? ›

The gluten in flour (and protein from the eggs) create the structure that traps steam in rising popovers. Without this structure, steam will escape like air from a punctured balloon, and your popovers will puddle, not pop.

What is the consistency of popover batter? ›

The consistency of the batter is important: we want it to be the consistency of heavy cream. The batter will thicken during this rest as the flour absorbs moisture. Also, during this rest time, stick the popover pan in the oven to heat as well.

Why are popovers hollow inside? ›

The tall narrow cups of the popover pan force the popovers up and up, and the steam comes together to make one big bubble which remains after they've baked, giving them their characteristic hollow center.

Does popover batter have to rest? ›

For maximum puff, we needed as thin and wet a batter as possible. We started by using low-fat milk instead of whole. We also let the batter rest for 25 minutes to give the flour time to fully hydrate. Next, we skipped nonstick pans.

Why does popover batter need to rest? ›

The flour needs some time to absorb into the liquid, which not only thickens the batter a bit, it also allows the gluten molecules to relax which makes for a lighter, not chewy popover. The resting period also makes the batter more velvety and helps allow air bubbles to release.

What type of flour is best for popovers? ›

using room temperature eggs (see recipe for how to quickly bring your eggs to room temperature) room temperature milk (see recipe for how to quickly bring your milk to room temperature) hot oven. bread or all-purpose flour: for especially loft popovers, bread flour is your gal!

What is the English name for popovers? ›

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.

What country invented popovers? ›

As we alluded to earlier, popovers were invented in America, while Yorkshire pudding was first conceptualized in England.

Are popovers gooey in the middle? ›

Or the interior – intended to be a soft, gooey, scrambled-egg-like substance – is too undercooked to eat. Tips to avoid these popover pitfalls vary: Use a popover pan instead of a muffin pan, poke them with a knife after baking to dry them out, start with a cold oven, heat up the pan before pouring in the batter.

What causes popovers to fall? ›

When these airy baked goods aren't cooked enough, too much steam stays trapped inside. That moisture condenses once they're removed from the oven, causing them to collapse. The perfect popover, however, is easy to master. First, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature.

What makes popovers dense? ›

If your popover batter is thick, adjust your ingredient ratios to include less flour; even if you use the right flour, too much of it makes your popovers dense.

Why are my popovers not fluffy? ›

The oven was not hot enough. Popovers require a fast rise, so that they can expand from the steam before the outside sets.

Can you eat leftover popovers? ›

If you have any leftover popovers, they are fantastic reheated in a low-temp oven or toaster oven the next day, too. This way the popover gets a little crispy again, which is perfect.

What's the difference between Yorkshire pudding and popovers? ›

Chef's Notes. The difference between popovers and Yorkshire puddings is that Yorkshires use the beef fat (the drippings from a beef roast). These popovers are a bit lighter in flavor and you can also prepare them before the roast is even done.

Why aren t my popovers airy? ›

Preheat the oven to 425 with the pan preheating in the oven. When baking don't open it again until they're done. If you open the oven door the temperature inside can drop too quickly and the popovers will not rise properly. Whip the batter up really airy right before you add it to the pan they'll rise extra high.

Why do my popovers always deflate? ›

A. If your popovers lose volume when they come out of the oven, they are probably underbaked. When these airy baked goods aren't cooked enough, too much steam stays trapped inside. That moisture condenses once they're removed from the oven, causing them to collapse.

What is the best grease for a popover pan? ›

Grease the cups of a nonstick (6-cup) popover pan very generously with softened butter or the cups of a cast-iron pan generously with vegetable shortening.

Is it necessary to poke the popover when it comes out of the oven? ›

Let the steam escape once they're done baking.

Popovers lose their crispiness if they linger in the pan, so turn them out on a wire rack immediately and make a small slit in the side of each with a paring knife to let the steam out.

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