Recipe: Popovers are a baked delight this time of year

I appreciate the glory of popovers this time of year. The crusty brown exteriors and the creamy insides show off surfaces that are just right for butter and jam. For years I made them in a special metal popover pan that was like a muffin pan but deeper; it was problematic in that the popovers often got stuck. Following a recipe from the late cookbook author Marion Cunningham, I’ve found no-stick success.

In Cunningham’s popover recipe, she describes the same sticky situation. She found a solution by using Pyrex glass baking cups. They aren’t as high and airy as those made in a popover pan, but they are delicious. I love to serve them to overnight guests for breakfast, or to accompany a holiday roast beef.

Modified Popovers

Yield: 7 servings

INGREDIENTS

Soft butter for greasing cups

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole milk

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease seven 3/4-cup-sized Pyrex glass cups, or seven 3/4-cup-sized ramekins with butter.

2. Beat the flour, milk, eggs, melted butter, and salt together until smooth. Cunningham used a blender to accomplish this. I use my electric stand mixer. Fill the prepared cups to 3/8-inch below the tops and place on rimmed baking sheet, spread out so they don’t touch one another.

3. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the popovers are golden and light. Run a thin knife around the edge of the popovers. Cautiously lift one out of its cup (a small offset spatula is helpful), and if it feels relatively light, it is done. Serve immediately. Cunningham notes that she likes to reheat them after they have fallen, adding that they get some of their puffiness back.

Source: “Lost Recipes” by Marion Cunningham (Alfred A. Knoff)

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomas Cooks.com.