J. Homemaker Series #1: Popovers

Welcome to a new feature on the blog, the J. Homemaker series.  The plan is to publish a post each Wednesday dealing with homemaking.  For those of you who have known me for some time (or maybe not that long too), you will know that before moving to the Netherlands I was NEVER known as "Suzie Homemaker".  But, seeing as how cooking and cleaning are now two of my main responsibilities, needless to say, I have "seen the light".  Or, the inside of an oven.  A lot.  

I kid, I kid.  It may sound from that last sentence that I am not enjoying my new found relationship with the kitchen, but I really am.  In fact, there are a few items on the bucket list that are a product of this.  For instance, popovers.  

I have had a popover pan for over five years (maybe even longer--it has been SO long, I am not even sure how long I have had it).  It has moved from Minnesota to New Jersey, back to Minnesota, and finally it took a trip across the ocean to the Netherlands.  

Popovers are one of my favorite treats.  I sometimes frequent restaurants just because they serve popovers. So, it was finally time to try to make them myself.  I was a bit intimidated because I had heard that popovers are difficult to bake successfully.  So, on a quiet Sunday afternoon (obviously, had to make sure J#1, my kitchen guide, was home), I made an attempt.  

first, the pan.  it should really have it's own passport.

next, the ingredients

The recipe I used?  From the packaging that came on the pan. Here it is, in case you want to try this at home: 

1 ¼     cup flour

1/3      teaspoon salt

3        large eggs

1 ¼     cup milk

2        tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 even pieces

1        tablespoon unsalted butter melted

Oil or spray (with nonstick vegetable oil spray) popover pan.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and set rack in middle of oven.  Preheat popover pan in oven about 2 minutes.  Blend flour, salt, eggs, milk and melted butter until mixture is the consistency of heavy cream, about 1 to 2 minutes.  This can be mixed in a food processor, blender, electric mixer, or with a hand mixer.  The batter can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.  Batter should be used at room temperature.

Place 1 small piece of butter in each cup and place back in preheated oven until butter is bubbly, about 1 minute.  Fill each cup half full with batter and bake 20 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 300 degrees and continue baking 20 minutes.

Makes 6 popovers.

So, how did they turn out?  

not perfect.  not disastrous either. 

would have preferred them to be a bit more airy. 

So, final thoughts:

1.  Our oven here only goes up to 200 degrees Celsius, which is not quite 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Perhaps why these weren't as perfect as I would have liked. 

2.  I forgot to spray the pan.  I am going to give the folks in the photo below credit for that.  

okay, that isn't fair.  it was my fault.  but I just wanted to
post this photo.  he's got his hands full, huh? 

3.  They were enough of a success to cross of my bucket list.

Will I try them again?  You bet.  But, for guests.  Found out that J#1 doesn't love popovers, so don't want to use about an hour of my time baking them just for us.  

So, how about it?  Want to come over for some popovers??? 

P.S.  Please forgive the less than stellar photography.  Obviously, I haven't gotten to that item on my bucket list yet.