A one temperature setting for a popover that turned out perfect? This was a culinary high mark for me because these popovers were not only light and airy but also enormously PERFECT!
I’ve never made perfect popovers before so I celebrated by having 2 when they came out of the oven. They were delicious and memories of my mother’s popovers informed me that I had finally arrived. After all these years I made the perfect popover. This was a real triumph for me.
DON'T PEEK! Popovers are leavened by steam and heat is required for the rising of the popovers. If you open the oven door, the heat escapes, the oven cools down, the steam inside the popovers condenses, and the popovers collapse. I know. The last batch I tried to make I ruined because I peeked. I never looked at these until 37 minutes had ticked off my clock.
If you love popovers like I do and plan to make them often, use the professional-quality popover pan from William Sonoma. It turns out moist popovers with crisp magnificent heads every time. I found my pan – which had never been used- at the second hand store for $5.
I also love to have popovers for breakfast on the weekends. They are a real treat with fresh squeezed OJ, a huge bowl of mixed fruit and greek yogurt.
They taste so good it’s hard to believe they are only 105 calories and 2.3 grams of fat.
Lemon Popovers
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• no fat vegetable spray
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in lower third. Generously spray popover cups with a no fat vegetable spray.
Whisk together milk, water, eggs, and zest in a bowl, then whisk in butter. Add flour, salt, and pepper and whisk until batter is combined well but still slightly lumpy.
Divide batter among popover cups and sprinkle tops with additional pepper as garnish if you like. Bake until puffed and golden, about 40 minutes. Cut a slit about 1/2-inch long in top of each popover with a small sharp knife, then bake 5 minutes more.
I can eat popovers plain but they are also great served with (and this is where you add the calories):
Maple or Honey Butter:
Mix 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter (1 standard stick) with 2 tablespoons maple syrup to honey and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
Strawberry Butter:
Beat together 1/2 cup of butter with 1/2 cup strawberry preserves
Bon Appetit!
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