Popovers

Popovers are, or at least my goal is to make them be, virtually hollow inside, a little custardy, with a delicious crusty/chewy brown exterior. Steam escapes as we break them open and dip into a puddle of maple syrup. A dab of raspberry preserves is another taste treat. Butter is the traditional condiment, but I'm shrewish when it comes to gratuitous amounts of milk fat.

This recipe has less than half the fat, more protein, and triple the fiber of a traditional recipe. And they still pop!

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon melted butter
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
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1   Preheat oven - and popover pan - to 450°F.

2   Allow milk, eggs, and flour to come to room temperature. This step is not negotiable.

Note: You can substitute low-fat or whole milk for the fat-free milk. Milk can be microwaved for a few seconds to speed warming. Microwaving eggs is not recommended.

3   Sift salt with flours. Whisk eggs and egg white in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk in milk. Whisk in melted butter. Whisk in flour, stirring thoroughly to break up lumps and create a smooth batter. Let the batter sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, preferably one hour. This waiting period is also not negotiable.

Notes: Using all all-purpose flour works best in this recipe. I've substituted white whole wheat flour for 1/2 of that, with good results. When I use more whole wheat flour the results are not as puffy and a little heavier but certainly not inedible. Right, FRE?

I have pop-over success without using baking powder. You can use a pinch (1/4 teaspoon) if you find your popovers fail to popover.

Many recipes will instruct to whisk the batter just until small lumps appear. This advice is more suitable when a leavening agent such as baking soda is used; a lumpy batter slows the leavening reaction during mixing, keeping acid and base away from each other until baking is underway. Since popovers rise with steam, this keep-batter-lumpy instruction is moot. In fact, the waiting period I describe as not negotiable encourages formation of gluten which creates a strong framework as the popovers puff. Gluten is formed when water contacts wheat protein, and breaking up lumps puts more moisture in contact with protein.

4   Carefully remove the popover pan from the oven, spray cups with oil (one instance PAM is useful), ladle batter evenly into cups (they'll be about 1/2 full), get pan back into hot oven pronto.

5   Bake for about 20 minutes at 450°F until puffed and golden. Reduce oven temp to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove popovers from pan immediately, sliding a knife around edges if they stick. Serve immediately.

Note: If you'll be holding popovers before serving, they can be kept warm in a very low oven. Slit them gently to let steam escape - this will keep them from collapsing, although you'll forfeit the steamy tableside opening. What's life without steamy tableside openings.

Enjoy!
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