Popovers!

[beccaboo]

Beccaboo -

Do you need to use fresh pumpkin "mush" or will canned work fine?

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I usually use canned. I mainly make pumpkin popovers when I have some extra pumpkin around, like when I get a giant can because they're on sale, and don't need all of it for my pie. Fresh is good too, though, as long as it's not too wet.

[little ms foodie]

Do you have to use a real popover tin or can a muffin tin work?

[beccaboo]

Do you have to use a real popover tin or can a muffin tin work?

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Me, I use a muffin tin and I think my popovers are fine. I've read that the fancy popover pans are better, though.

[lcdm]

I make these popovers all the time, they come out great (my husband even requested them for Christmas morning).

http://ww2.kingarthurflour.com/cgibin/html...987292496638461

[BrentKulman]

My recipe takes 35 minutes.

For 8 popovers:      For 18:

1 C flour                  2 1/2 C flour

1 C milk                  2 1/2 C milk

2 eggs                    1 1/2 t salt

1/2 t salt                  5 eggs

1 T oil                      2 T oil

Beat everything together thoroughly--beat and beat, as this is the key to getting them to pop--then pour batter into well-geased muffin tins and bake at 425F for 30-35 minutes.

To make 18 pumpkin popovers, use 2 C milk, 1/2- 3/4 C pumpkin mush, 1/4t each cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.  These don't pop as well, but taste nice.

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Beccaboo -

I'm going to try to make 8 pumpkin popovers for Thanksgiving. Looking more carefully at your recipe, I have a few questions:

1) Can I use skim milk?

2) I presume that you still use the other ingredients (flour, eggs, salt and oil) in the same proportions as the original recipe.

Thanks.

Edited November 22, 2004 by Brent Kulman (log)

[beccaboo]

Beccaboo -

I'm going to try to make 8 pumpkin popovers for Thanksgiving.  Looking more carefully at your recipe, I have a few questions:

1) Can I use skim milk?

2) I presume that you still use the other ingredients (flour, eggs, salt and oil) in the same proportions as the original recipe.

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1) I use skim milk, as that's what we have around.

2) Yes.

Be sure to either serve these immediately or cook them a little longer, or they'll collapse like little soufflés.

Edited November 23, 2004 by beccaboo (log)

[A Patric]

Hi all,

I'll be making some popovers today. I looked in the "Joy of Cooking" and the recipe calls for greased and dusted (w/flour) muffin tins at room temperature with batter added (also at room temp (70 F)). However, I've been reading a few e-gullet threads, and most people seem to preheat the tins, then brush with butter, add no flour to the tin, and then add the batter. Some don't specify, but some have said to add it chilled.

So, my question is...how can two recipes vary so much? Anyone have any ideas why one would want to preheat the tin as opposed to not doing so, and why one would specifically want room-temp batter and another would want it chilled?

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Lori in PA]

I don't have technical answers to your questions -- only my experience. I always have heated my muffin tins (don't have popover pans) with the fat in them and then poured in the batter and "popped" them quickly into the oven. They are lovely.

[A Patric]

I don't have technical answers to your questions -- only my experience. I always have heated my muffin tins (don't have popover pans) with the fat in them and then poured in the batter and "popped" them quickly into the oven. They are lovely.

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Well, I just talked to someone I know who makes popovers often and she told me that they usually stick to the tin quite a bit. She doesn't preheat the tin, and I'm wondering if perhaps the preheating of the tins with the fat might somehow keep the popovers from sticking? Any thoughts on that?

[woodburner]

I use a non stick high faluten dedicated popover pan with 6 large cups. The recipe I've become accustomed to calls for preheating the pan with oil in each cup. They have never stuck. So.. I would say yes, preheat for no stick.

woodburner

[A Patric]

I use a non stick high faluten dedicated popover pan with 6 large cups.  The recipe I've become accustomed to calls for preheating the pan with oil in each cup.  They have never stuck.  So.. I would say yes, preheat for no stick. 

woodburner

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Well, that's what I'll try this time. I'll throw some butter in each non-stick cup and preheat. We'll see how it goes.

[A Patric]

Update:

Well, the "Joy of Cooking" recipe turned out great. My wife, who had never had popovers before, loved them, and with the addition of butter in the tins, they had a great buttery flavor. They were also crisp on the outside and creamy and tender on the inside...what I consider to be perfect. Despite this fact, and the fact that I pre-heated the tin, they did stick on the bottom quite a bit. I wonder if adding even more butter to each cavity of the tin might improve things? I'll have to try it next time.

[miladyinsanity]

Update:

Well, the "Joy of Cooking" recipe turned out great.  My wife, who had never had popovers before, loved them, and with the addition of butter in the tins, they had a great buttery flavor.  They were also crisp on the outside and creamy and tender on the inside...what I consider to be perfect.  Despite this fact, and the fact that I pre-heated the tin, they did stick on the bottom quite a bit.  I wonder if adding even more butter to each cavity of the tin might improve things?  I'll have to try it next time.

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Try oiling it instead. The water content and something else (can't remember what, but I'm sure someone will know) can cause your popovers to stick to your pain. I use oil, not butter, to grease the pans when I bake.

[Shel_B]

Saw a cooking show yesterday in which a couple of popover recipes were made. Popovers look like something Toots would love, and I'm thinking a New Year's Day brunch with popovers would be a nice treat for her. However, I never made popovers before, so, some questions, and please be mindful of the fact that I'm not much of a baker, rarely have baked, and am ignorant of most baking techniques:

Is a popover pan necessary, or does the pan just produce "better" results, or different results?

What should I be looking for if I decide to buy a popover pan?

If adding herbs or other flavors to the popover batter, does the baking time, or anything else, need to be changed from whatever recipe I'm using?

I've got a few popover recipes from on line sources, but does anyone have a nice recipe or some techniques that they'd like to share?

Is a general, AP flour acceptable for popovers, or would some other type of flour be a better choice?

[Darienne]

I always used a muffin pan.

[gfweb]

Popover pans give a taller product than a muffin pan, but both are great.

Getting the pan and oil screaming hot before pouring in the batter give a nice outcome.

[judiu]

See also Yorkshire pudding recipes; essentially a savory popover cooked in fat rendered from a roast.

[rotuts]

All the above.

start with a muffin pan you might have.

and ditto on the fat.

I used to make these w Roast Beef and Yorkshires.

using the beef fat from the roast.

enjoy !

[gfweb]

you might throw a chunk of cheddar or gruyere into the YP cup. not authentic, but better.

[Katie Meadow]

I make both sizes: large in a 6-cup dedicated pan and smaller in a muffin tin. In my experience if a recipe makes six large popovers it will make approx 9 muffin size ones. I agree you should start with the equipment you have.

[andiesenji]

I have a popover pan, which gives nice tall popovers with a "mushroom" top.

However, for smaller batches I have an antique enamel, cast iron muffin pan which produces lovely popovers.

As mentioned above, the pan has to be HOT before adding the batter.

[Dave the Cook]

Conventional wisdom says that you must start with a hot pan and hot fat. But I just read this in McGee's Keys to Good Cooking (p 450):

To save time and energy, start popovers in a cold pan and cold oven. Many recipes call for preheating the oven and pan to maximize the batter's rise, but it will rise surprisingly well without tricky handling of hot metal and fat.

So "hot and hot" isn't essential -- helpful and reassuring to know, if you're trying to work out other parts of a recipe first.

[gfweb]

I'd like to see a head to head comparison. Did he cite any data? I'm willing to believe if it was tested.

[andiesenji]

I've tried it and for me it did not work. The popovers rose but the insides were gummy and the inner spaces smaller. I like for them to puff so there are large hollow spaces inside so I can fill them with either a savory or sweet filling.

They were also tough - they looked okay but to me the texture and flavor are more important than appearance.

These are mine, light, tender and with big open spaces inside.

[DesertTinker]

I've tried it and for me it did not work. The popovers rose but the insides were gummy and the inner spaces smaller. I like for them to puff so there are large hollow spaces inside so I can fill them with either a savory or sweet filling.

They were also tough - they looked okay but to me the texture and flavor are more important than appearance.

These are mine, light, tender and with big open spaces inside.

popovers.JPG

Recipe for those unbelievably gorgeous popovers ?

Please?

You're making me need a popover pan now!