I first encountered popovers when I started going to Acadia National Park for summer vacations. There's a well-known restaurant, the Jordan Pond House, that is known for popovers. Now I can't get enough of them.
I've made popovers dozens of times with several different recipes, beginning with one of the recipes available from the Jordan Pond House gift shop. It's actually amazing how many different (and sometimes convoluted) recipes there are for them. The recipe that I started with requires over 10 minutes using a stand mixer at various speeds for various different steps . . . that's a little ridiculous. Some use baking soda, but most don't. Some call for skim milk and others require whole. This recipe is a reliable adaptation of the recipes that I've tried.
First off, I've nixed that absurd mixing algorithm and replaced it with a small amount of time in a blender. The entire point of mixing the dough for an extended period of time is to add a lot of air to the mixture. Blenders are much more efficient at that. I've also removed the baking soda—it's just unnecessary.
For the milk, well, the type doesn't seem to matter much. I've used 2% and whole milk, and the results are equally good for both varieties. I haven't used skim, nut, or soy milks, but they're certainly worth a try if it's all you have (or if you're lactose intolerant). Enjoy!
Popovers
Makes: 6 popovers
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
1½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
¾ tsp salt
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1½ cups milk
3 large eggs
1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. Whisk together the flour and salt.
3. Put the butter, milk, and eggs into a blender and blend on high speed for 20 seconds.
4. Place the popover pan in the oven to warm it. Meanwhile, add half of the flour mixture to the blender and blend on high speed for another 20 seconds. Scrape the sides, then add the remaining flour to the blender and blend on high speed for 40 seconds.
5. Remove the pan from the oven, grease it well (even between the holes), and fill each hole halfway (don't overfill them). Place pan in oven and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Reduce temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until well-browned. Remove from oven and poke a hole in each popover to vent the steam (otherwise they'll get mushy). Serve warm with butter and jam.