I hope you didn’t think I forgot about you this week, or actually hopped on a plane to Mexico, as repeatedly threatened during last week’s taco fest. The truth of where I’ve been is far less interesting and could be roughly summarized as: man, am I a terrible cook this week. However, the week started out promisingly; I nailed a cookbook chicken dish on the first try (that I’d been certain would be no good at all) and brimming with confidence — maybe I should trust all of my cooking instincts! maybe I am good at this? — I decided to make a dish of slow-roasted vegetables that turn out should never have been slow-roasted, unless vegetable leather is your thing. Oops.
I gritted my teeth and decided to move on, as I had on my agenda to prove that my recent acquisition of a popover pan — yes, a pan that makes one thing, and one thing only, purchased by the person who used to insist that you buy no single-use items for a kitchen, unless your kitchen has cabinets by the dozen, in which case, can I borrow one? because I can’t fit this pan anywhere — had not been a late-night impulse purchase but a justified step in bringing us my idea of summery popover nirvana. Or something.
A popover, if you’re unfamiliar with them, is an airy, hollow muffin that puffs up and over the side of its tin. It is made with something close to a crepe batter and traditionally includes beef drippings, kind of like the American counterpart to Yorkshire Pudding. But I wasn’t dreaming of a roast, only a sweet corn and tangy buttermilk companion to a summer salad. Unfortunately, I’d apparently squandered all of my good cooking karma this week on Monday’s chicken because these popovers, they did not pop. They were overly brown and quite heavy and I decided to never make them again until I realized I’d still not justified the purchase of a popover pan. So I read every recipe for popovers I could get my hands on, made some recipe adjustments and sighed my way back to the kitchen.
My second batch popped, but only slightly and were a bit undercooked. Again, I was about to quit — Don’t I have a manuscript to finish? Doesn’t the floor need to be washed? Surely there’s something more appealing than potentially facing more kitchen defeat… — but someone thought they were so delicious that I was encouraged to try again. I’m so glad I did.
Because on round three, everything finally came together. They not only popped, but even “over” the sides a little. And they taste better than we hoped, like high summer with a faint green onion flavor from the chives, a mild sweetness from the corn and a real depth of flavor from the buttermilk. I think they’d be perfect with a tomato and Bibb lettuce salad with an good helping of this dressing; or maybe with a tomato-cheddar-chive omelet (what the resident toddler ate for dinner, too all of our envy) or even as a biscuit alternative with grilled chicken but mostly we just find them insanely good right out the oven. $17 good? Shh, let’s not talk about that again.
One year ago: Summer Succotash with Bacon and Croutons and Nectarine Brown Butter Buckle
Two years ago: Sour Cherry Slab Pie and Cantaloupe Salsa
Three years ago: Nectarine Mascarpone and Gingersnap Tart, Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte, Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti, Garlic Mustard Glazed Skewers and Huevos Rancheros
Four years ago: Pearl Couscous with Olives and Roasted Tomatoes and Zucchini Bread
Corn, Buttermilk and Chive Popovers
Adapted from The New Basics
I got the idea in my head for buttermilk corn popovers last month and became a little obsessed. I even bought a popover pan in a moment of weakness, but hear me out: you do not need one. I did not need one. You can use a muffin tin. Or ramekins. Trust me, as I will never find a place to put this away which means that it will soon be re-appropriated for paint cups or Cheerio storage and it’s all my fault.
Unsure of where to start, I turned to Google, which led me to a recipe for corn popovers from The New Basics by Julee Russo and Sheila Lukins. I adjusted them a bit; I swapped buttermilk for regular, as was my plan, and I found that the corn really had to be blended to become part of the batter (rather than kernels that fell out after tearing the popover open). I had to reduce the baking temperature and increase the baking time over two rounds to get the grandest puffs. My hunch is that the recipe had originally been developed using a muffin tin, where each cup usually holds a scant 1/2 cup liquid rather than a popover pan or ramekin, where each cup usually holds 3/4 cup liquid, so if you’re using a muffin tin, you are likely to need less baking time but yield more popovers.
Makes 6 popovers in a traditional popover pan or in ramekins; will likely make 9 in muffin tins
1 cup buttermilk (or make your own sour milk)
1/2 cup corn kernels (from most of one cob)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
Place buttermilk and corn in a blender together and blend for just 3 seconds — you’re looking to break up the corn a bit, not puree it. Add the eggs, one tablespoon of the melted butter and blend for one second more. Add the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, a few grinds of black pepper (I used four, not that you asked or that I’d expect a normal person to count) and the chives and blend again until barely combined, some lumps are fine.
Set the batter aside to rest while you preheat your oven to 375 degrees, about 15 minutes. Brush your popover, muffin or ramekin cups with the remaining tablespoon of butter. Fill each cup slightly more than halfway with batter (see top of recipe for cup estimates).
Bake popovers 30 to 35 minutes (see Note above about baking times in a muffin tin). Try not to open the oven door! Crack it just 1-inch to take a peak if absolutely necessary towards the end. Popovers are done when they’re tall and bronzed. Flip popovers out onto cooling rack and let cool for a few minutes before tearing in. Even then, they will be filled with steam and very hot in the middle — be careful. Eat with a great big summery salad on a deck somewhere, please.
Deb, it’s steamy-hot here in DC, and I’m devoting today to writing down favorite recipes from the interwebs, so that I don’t have to keep gunking up my phone whenever I cook. You must have just posted this, because I was on your site a bit ago, and the recipe wasn’t up. I can’t wait to try it.
ANYWAY, I absolutely love popovers. My mom makes them for the holidays, with jam. I need to learn to make jam. Do you have any recipes for this/could you please, please, please, please post one? Thanks for rocking, as always!
These sound absolutely perfect right now. Lucky for me I live next to the state farmers market where there are about a dozen different farmers selling sweet corn. This might inspire me to leave my apartment and out into the 100-degree North Carolina heat wave.
I think I’m going to try this with some locally available spiced buttermilk!
Gosh… those sure do look tasty. Heading out to buy a popover pan right now!
Thanks for sharing.
Yeah we have that pan. You can also use it to make individual muffinesq (sp?) things. It does an amazing job on popovers so it gets frequent use in our kitchen. Now we must go make ourselves some of this nummy concoction your so cleverly gave us.
In the Pacific Northwest that it’s not too hot to bake, but it might be a little early for (good) fresh corn. I guess frozen would do the job in this case.
I’ve been wondering for a while what the difference was between Yorkshire pud and popovers so now you’ve cleared this one up. I wonder if this is inappropriate supper fodder for my 9 month old? I think he’d like it.
Gah, how excellent. I don’t know if I can currently handle turning the oven on for any length of time, but I may have to figure out a way. Perhaps on Wednesday when the other half has evening plans, and I can retire to the cool half of the house (my bedroom) with a bowl of hot bread, and catch up on the last season of Mad Men. Why yes, I do believe I now have Wednesday plans.
Oh my, what great flavors. And they look perfect! I’ve never tried to make popovers, I really should because they are so yummy. Thanks for the note on using a muffin tin because that’s what I’ll need to use :)
ahhh LOVE! i can’t wait to try these. they remind me of lunch with my mom when i was little. xxo em
this sounds like such an amazing combination of ingredients, especially for a summer picnic!
Mmmm reminds me of eating them at Jordan Pond at Acadia National Park in Maine. And thanks for adding the muffin tin conversion as I don’t like looking at delicious things that require special equipment (I should really invest in an ice cream maker).
Your popovers look great and I’m loving the idea of corn/chive flavor. So glad you kept trying until you got it. Yum.
Deb these look wonderful and remind me of the popovers my dad used to make when I was growing up.
I have never in my adult life made a popover. And in fact, hadn’t even thought about them in AGES til I recently saw someone make them…and now yours. I need to get poppin’ I think and make these :)
Sweet! These look amazing – and I’m so glad you said I don’t need a popover pan because I was immediately like, “there is no room in my kitchen for another pan. especially one that will never get used.” Definitely saving this recipe for later!
Funny thing you just posted this, because I was seriously considering buying a popover tin, when you said I could just use my regular old muffin tin. I give you bushels of thanks, because I can now test the five popover recipes I have accumulated, one being yours.
These look wonderful! And they’ll be a great excuse for hauling out my popover pan. Every recipe for popovers that I’ve ever used tells you to preheat the pan. Maybe that’s the trick to getting the really big puff – mine always start to puff as soon as the batter hits the pan. And you can stab them with a paring knife a minute before they’re done to let the steam out and dry out the inside a little.
Wow, your popovers look so delicious! I have not tried making them myself, but after reading your article, maybe I will. Especially I want to thank you for the great photos. Good idea including fresh chives.
I will definitely be trying these. Popovers…love. Corn…love. Chives…love. And leftover buttermilk in the fridge. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
If you need another idea to get your money’s worth, try these cinnamon sugar popovers for breakfast or dessert: http://vanillabasil.blogspot.com/2010/03/cinnamon-sugar-popovers.html
Dana — Ah, those are from my friend David Lebovitz! They’re delicious.
Deb, these look incredible — all the effort definitely paid off! Popovers were one of the first things I made on my own when I was in high school, although they didn’t quite come out like this :) Still, I’ve loved them ever since, and I’ll have to revisit them with this recipe! Thank you!
@Cait: Jam, seriously, is so easy! Look on the back of the SureJell package!
Deb: I feel your one use item storage pain. Can it live on top of something? I store things like this in the strangest places–they don’t have to be close to hand in the kitchen since they’re so rarely used. I will try this with ramekins!
these look delicious. I’m a popover fan being that they are delicious and easy to make. never thought to use corn or buttermilk. this makes it sound so savory and a meal in it itself. thanks.
Never had a popover but these look good. I was inspired by your corn tacos; we’ve been having loads of grilled corn lately, made some into savoury pancakes which we served with bacon. Nom nom nom!
This look good. Now I wish I’d bought more corn at the farmer’s market this morning…
Should the corn be cooked before it goes in the blender with the buttermilk?
Raised by an English mother and an Irish father, there are few things I love more than “batter pudding” as we used to call it. These look amazing. And if you’re really ruing the Single Use Item purchase, take heart. Ikea sells tall, skinny cupcake liners that would fit right into your pan and make unusual and delightful cupcakes :) http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40133041 They’re supposed to go in here http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00133038, but who’s telling?
Chelan — Gah, and I was just at Ikea today! Jacob wanted a kitchen. Let’s see if his clueless parents can get it assembled tonight after he goes to bed…
Katherine — The corn is before it goes in the blender.
These look amazing – like corn and chive flavoured Yorkshire puddings.
These look gorgeous and delicious! I have a popover pan that has yet to be christened!
Not only do I have this same pan, but I also have The New Basics, lingering chives and corn and eggs in my CSA each week right now! Sounds like kismet! And, just so you know – I get raves any time I make popovers with this pan even though I usually do the batter ahead and have it waiting in the frig. The ooh’s and ahh’s and “well, that puts the bagels to shame” is worth the single-use price (and boosts my ego when I have crappy cooking weeks)! And new recipe options – great!!
I love popovers and have had that single use pan for a while. Sadly I don’t use it often. I usually think of popovers as a winter comfort food, so I love that you came up with this summer version.
I love the buttermilk-corn flavor; I’ll definitely give these a try. I’ve found that if I butter the pans, then sprinkle them lightly with finely grated parmesan, the batter has something to hold onto and they rise a bit more. (This revelation came about after many batches of dense, short popovers.)
wowwww. I am totally obsessed with popovers–usually the cook’s illustrated “best recipe” version, and usually just as a vehicle for homemade jam. these, however, sound like a superb variation on my standard popover fare. will be making tomorrow!
I do have a big kitchy, but I’m bad, I just use my muffin tin to make these treats! Mine are quite plain – but good none-the-less. But sadly, now my husband can’t eat them any more.
mmm! these look delicious, thanks for sharing. quick question — do you think that the baking temperature should also be modified if we’re going the muffin pan route? if so, do you mind sharing the originally recommended baking temp and time? thanks so much! can’t wait to try them!
Yay!! Now I know what I’ll be making for dinner tonight. Thanks :)
This looks so amazing! Anything done in the kitchen seems like such a challenge to me, but I am still devoted to this blog and become more and more inspired everyday. Thank you for sharing!
p.s. I’m vegetarian and I LOVE how many veggie friendly recipes you share. When I do get the guts to make something myself, it’s nice to be able to serve something to my friends that they love, while still fulfilling my vegetarian-ness.
That corn-tomato-chive/green onion/buttermilk combo is my favorite savory summer thing of all time! And Deb, thanks for the tip, since as I began reading this post I thought, “why not just use muffin tins?” only to have my answer a few characters later! Will be making in a matter of hours, subbing green onion for chives…
So tasty. I didn’t have chives, so I used a shallot. Adds even more sweetness, on top of the corn! Thanks!
I love that you didn’t stop ’til you figured it out — it gives me hope for my attempts at ice cream sandwiches and banana cream pie!
Ok, I like the popover pan! Why can’t you just hang it artfully on the wall? You know, Kitchen Art. Dust it occasionally. This will give you an excuse to get other arty pans to add to the collection.
That’s my story and I am sticking to it! (cast iron corn stick pans in the shape of cactii)…..
these look wonderful……I don’t have a popover tin but a regular muffin tin can work correct?
Looks delicious!!! Do you cook the corn on the cob first before cutting off the kernels?
Thanks!!
Deb, You will NOT regret that popover pan. It has brought me many kudos and so many delicious moments! Especially good with people over who will ooh and ahh, and devour them so you have to be ready to make more than one batch.
seems to me the popover pan was money well spent.
Deb – I’m curious as to why you don’t preheat the popover pan in the oven? That, and a 30-minute rest for the batter are critical steps, IMBO, for getting mega pop out of your popovers. I grease the sides of each cup with a smidge of shortening and put the pan in a cold oven, then preheat the oven. When the oven and pan are hot, and the batter has rested a full 30, I take the pan out, drop a 1/2 T of butter in each cup, then fill with batter. Always, always gives me popovers that push at least 3″ out of the pan.
Re: preheating the pan — I didn’t do it because it wasn’t necessary to make these works. I had read several recipes that suggest it, and might have tried it next had I another round of fail, but instead I had billowing, tall, perfect popovers from a non-preheated pan. In cooking, and in life, I only add steps when needed.
These look fantastic! I can’t get enough of fresh corn right now and I think these will be my next challenge!
I make popovers in a gas barbecue set on medium with this pan https://secure.lodgemfg.com/storefront/product1_new.asp?idProduct=3950 on top of two fire bricks. Works every time.
I’m really not into single-use items either, so am so gals muffin tins are acceptable. One question: any chance of subbing soy milk for buttermilk?
These look wonderful! I love popovers – so cute and friendly!
Those look delicious! I’m definitely going to try them out, just as soon as I can bring myself to turn on the oven again. Just FYI, typo alert: “take a peak” should be “take a peek” instead.
Yum! Yum! Yum!
@Cait – I just experimented with Blueberry jam-no pectin (because I didn’t have any) I just used blueberries, sugar lemon juice and my secret ingredient was cinnamon! Boil it till you can drop a little on a small frozen plate, run your finger thru it and
it leaves a trail.
I guess if you don’t have a cabinet to put the new popover pan away… you’ll have to NOT put it away. And make popovers EVERY DAY!
One of my favorite things about your recipes–about half the time I have all the ingredients on hand.
I just made these for dinner. Only about four of them “popped,” but they were all delicious–you could taste each element clearly (and I used frozen corn). Just a quick note: I got an even dozen out of my muffin tin.
Echoing Bria’s comment– I used to make (from scratch) popovers for the MN Renaissance Festival, and the three things I learned you HAVE to do: preheat the tins (we used pottery cups), grease them really good, and let the batter rest for at least 20 min, the longer, the better. We probably baked at leat 2000 a day, so I got pretty good at making them. I think this recipe looks delish, and gives me an idea for all the green onions I’ve got. Thanks!
I don’t know if this is “on-topic” enough, but please accept my thanks and sincere gratitude. The recipes you post are great, really a high percentage of direct hits (the brisket! the whole grain pancakes!). I can trust them to be tested, complete, and include indispensable tips (mix the rice into the arroz con pollo liquid, then add chicken, so the rice stays underneath during cooking!). Best of all, your wise, witty, and self-deprecating personality that shines through (too many examples to need reference). Thank you, thank you, be well.
Honestly? This is as good as my day Sunday hahahaha It seems to me to be super easy to do!!!!
I admire your persistence! My mom used to make popovers, and there were popping issues even when made with a premeasured mix. These do sound lovely, though. The fresh corn sounds amazing!
I just love Yorkshire puddings, but I didn’t know what popovers were till reading this so now I feel inspired to tweak my yorkshire puddings a little, maybe by adding some chives next time. I think I’ll still want to eat them with loads of gravy though!
This recipe looks like a winner. I’ll make it tomorrow after visiting the farmers market. I always bake popovers in tall pyrex custard cups. I’m holding out for a non-non-stick popover pan. Then I will stand in the middle of the kitchen turning round and round wondering where the heck to store the thing.
Thanks, Deb. I didn’t realize that my summer was sorely missing a corny popover feast.
Most excellent! They look really good.
Hey Deb,
My kids are popover FIENDS. We actually just wore out two popover pans; I’ve got on my list to buy two more, as we use them two dozen times a year, easy.
You may have already tried everything below, but I find these little tweaks essential for serious poof-dom:
**PREHEAT the pans with the oven (stick ’em in while it’s cold), for a good 10 minutes, anyway. Hold off on the buttering until just before you pour the batter, unless you want to see your local NYFD rep. The batter will sizzle instantly when you hit the pan; bingo.
**Start the popovers at 425 for 15 minutes, then finish up at 375 for the last 15. This gets that serious loft going quickly, then gives them time to cook through.
**Also? I have no luck at all with muffin tins, but the popover pans deliver edible toques, every time. Consider yourself justified :)
(here’s how we do it: http://www.remedialeating.com/2010/10/crucial-announcements.html)
Here’s to poofy years,
Molly
As Molly says, preheating the pans is essential. That’s the key to a good Yorkshire pudd and it holds true for popovers as well.
These are just so pretty! What a great addition to a special brunch.
Wow, they look gorgeous :) To be honest I’ve never heard of popovers before. They are not common in South Africa or in Manchester, will have to do some research :)
These look scrumptious and full of summer flavor. As for popover pans, after making popovers in muffin tins, I bought one, and am glad, only since they take 40 mins to bake, if one plans on serving them to guests or a hungry family, one needs two, so that one can have 12 at once. If you like popovers, they’re worth it, I think, because the ratio of crust to inside is so much better than mini popovers or muffin tins.
LOVE popovers. LOVE them. You haven’t lived until you’ve been to Acadia National Park and eaten popover ice cream sundaes at the Jordan House… For real. We’re big fans of the Barefoot Contessa’s recipe – I agree with pp, you have to preheat the pan. I’ve tried other ones, but hers is foolproof. I’m tempted to make this tonight because we have corn from our trip to Maine… Thanks :)
As I live surrounded by Acadia National Park (lucky lucky me) I make and eat popover all the time. Super easy. I don’t own a pop-over pan and use custard cups but a pan is on my list. I don’t heat the cups but I spray them with a ton of buttered flaoured Pam. The oven is preheated to 425, put in popovers for 25 minutes then lower to 350 for 20 minutes. Bliss….now am off to make buttermilk and corn popovers for brunch today. Thanks!!!!
Going to try this recipe with milk-thinned chevre…we do everything with chevre and its derivatives around here. Would love to slather butter and some room-temperature corn relish on them, as well…August corn is right around the corner! Thanks, Deb!
Love that you use whole kernels in this recipe and buttermilk is also gorgeous choice.
These sound wonderful, and will go on my list to try when it is not too hot to use the oven. One question – why the blender? Will a food processor work as well? My kids have managed to lose the blade assembly for my blender (and it is too old to buy a replacement) so that is why I am asking. Thanks.
I love your honest and humble account about a dish that twice did not turn out. I came home from the farmers market this week with my turnip tops greedily in hand, ready to make them just like Stefano’s Nonnetta did back in Rome. Needless to say, it didn’t work out that way. The garlic, chile pepper and tomato saute did not compliment the bitter greens the way they did Nonnetta’s. The beauty of home cooking is that one failed attempt only fuels our desire to try again. Congratulations on your beautiful popovers! They were worth your effort. We’re stopping by the farmers market again to pick up some more turnip tops.
I cannot wait to try your recipe. I, too, opened my wallet 10+ years ago for a popover pan after enjoying said bakery item from an Upper West Side restaurant of the same name. My popover pan has been sadly unused over the years, and now that I live in the South, it is all ‘biscuits and gravy’ so I am anxious to try your recipe!
Popovers are so tricky, I was just putting together a lesson on this a few nights ago and the food science text I was referencing said that popovers and pate e choux ( cream puffs) often need more time in the oven for the egg proteins to stabilize even after they look brown and done. Thats always been my problem I think, they looked great in the oven and then deflate immediately. There is also a cooks illustrated on this topic that says to poke them with a toothpick to release steam, have yet to try that though. Lovely recipe and a great way to use corn. Thank you for stopping me from buying a popover pan, it has been on my list for way too long and I too, have no room!
Mmm, the best popovers that I’ve had were in London — so buttery and crisp. I love the shape of yours.
I’m still a popover virgin. I, too, am making a baking list. Until the thermal nuclear heat wave is over, not much cooking or baking in the Gravy Girl kitchen.
By the way, I call the bad luck in the kitchen: kitchen gremlins. They even strike on everyday stuff. Ya just never know.
Thanks for all the inspiration, N
A friend sent me her “award-winning” recipe for Tomato Pie so I’m making that today and now I know the perfect thing to serve with it! These sound every penny worth of $17 – money well-spent. You keep writing cookbooks and you’ll soon have dozens of cupboards with all kinds of useless items…sounds dreamy, no? xo, Nan
I have always made popovers in my muffin tin; no problem using Joy of Cooking recipe. My mom always filled them with vanilla ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce. I’m going to have fun trying savory fillings with these. Thanks!
Those look so yummy! Popovers are one my favorites and I rarely make them – but they are oh so good. There’s nothing better than that eggy batter. I too have never been able to justify a pan that does just one thing so I’ve always made them in a muffin tin and it works fine. I follow this one recipe religiously when I make them and it calls to heat the oven to 450 – you heat the tin for 10 minutes before greasing it and pouring in the batter and the preheated tin helps the batter start to puff. Also, you must not open the door. This works for me every time.
i love making popovers, any kind. your recipe looks great. i have the chive in the garden now. i find that less beating of my batter makes for better popovers. i would omit using a blender for all parts to do with the eggs and just hand stir,
I also succumbed to the popover pan purchase. It hasn’t come out of the cabinet but I sure know its in there and dream about its potential use. Yours do look divine and this hopefully will prompt me to take that next step…
Do you think I could substitute the white flour with white-wheat flour or whole wheat flour?
I really liked that you wrote about your recipe development process in this post–I read your recipes and I always wonder what’s going on in your head that allows you to create such delicious things in the kitchen! I’m glad the popovers finally turned out for you.
I’ve never made a popover, nor have I even tasted one for that matter.
That being said, I’ve drooled over a popover pan at least 10 times.
Impractical lust–I’m glad I’m not the only one though ;)
Deb…I work in a baking shop/store and we have so many customers that talk about their popovers. One common theme…they use Wondra Flour! They say it’s the lightest and allows the biggest “pop.” Also, they let the batter sit in the pan at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then bake. Wondering if you have ever heard the same?
Yum, this looks savory and delicious! I’ve also been holding out on buying a popover pan. Looking at these is tilting me to one side…
Between you and Dorie Greenspan’s madeleines (http://doriegreenspan.com/2011/07/if-i-cant-remember-when.html), I am going to have to rent kitchen cabinet space! :)
The popovers look incredible as always, wish I had some chives around. Do you think a bit of jalapeno might work instead?
Hey I just noticed we have the exact same kitchen counter tops! I’m not a huge fan of them, so it’s nice to know someone else manages to live with them, haha. No seriously, they look real nice in your photos. Cheers!
Love the flavor combination of your popovers, will make them tonight!
I am of the “preheat oven with popover pan school” too: preheat popover pan on a cookie sheet @450 degrees during the last 5 minutes of the oven preheating cycle-placing popover pan on a cookie sheet ensures proper preheating, remove popover pan and brush with butter. Pour batter: 1/2 full per popover, bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Dark metal popover tins heat up better and hold heat longer than glass too, so don’t give up on your new popover tin, Deb!
YAY! I’ve been hoping you’d do a popover recipe sometime. I just inherited my grandma’s old cast-iron popover pan (the thing makes small ones like a muffin tin, but deeper). Apparently my grandma never had a working temp gauge on her oven so she made a pan of popovers every night to test the heat, so inheriting the pan also means inheriting rather high expectations. I have been playing around with various recipes but haven’t managed to wow anyone until now…THANK YOU!
I have one of these in my mouth as I type. Seriously, one of the best things I’ve ever had. Made 9 in a muffin tin, they all popped and browned perfectly. Served with a big salad, boy and I finished the whole pan off ourselves.
In my experience getting popovers that really pop is hugely about timing and temperature. I was shocked (shocked! le gasp!) to read that you cooled your melted butter and you did not specify room temperature eggs or milk. These things made all the difference in the internal moisture and thus the height for my popovers.
My recommendations: about half an hour before baking (maybe while you’re preheating), set the eggs and the milk in a hot water bath to bring them to room temperature. If the water cools before your ingredients warm, simply pour the water out and add more hot water. Combine all the ingredients in the order and manner you describe EXCEPT the butter. Butter the pans, make sure the oven is up to temperature, make everything ready. THEN melt the butter, quickly add it to the batter, stir just to combine, pour rapidly and get those tins in the oven as quick as possible.
This combined with your popover tins (yes, you don’t need them, but they should exaggerate height because they are taller and narrower than muffin tins) should give you enormous lift. Those fuckers should be 50% pop if not more.
Granted I’ve only made plain or gruyere, nothing nearly so complicated as corn, but I think the principle is the same.
I’m sure I can come up with another use for that pan. That is one pan I do not have but I do have a whole pantry devoted only to pans. Maybe I need to add another one.
So – made these tonight and the flavor was delicious. However, they were unlike any other popover that I’ve ever made – they popped, but there was no bottom! There was only about 1/4 inch of popover below the rim of the pan – so the popover kind of cooked up into the popover, and was pretty dense. Any theories on why?
Yay, an update! I figured you’d gotten busy working on your cookbook, so I just kept sneaking peeks at your Flickr to see what was coming next. These look like they’d be awesome with some grilled chicken and a huge green salad. Speaking of which – any chance we’ll be seeing this wonderful chicken recipe you tried?
I am soooo hoping that the allergy testing comes back negative for eggs for my youngest. I miss stuff like this so badly.
My mom used to make these when I was little… A little nostalgia for her, since her mother made them for she and her siblings! Always a super exciting day when popovers and hot cocoa were for breakfast… buttery and perfectly POPPED in the little glass cups! (my mother was anti-single-use kitchen stuff too)
Can’t wait to make them in my new oven!
So glad they finally turned out! I like the sound of these. I’m super happy that I only need a muffin tin to make these, or I’d be out the door! haha
Absolutely stunning and delightful! Stunning pictures! i love the recipe! And easy recipe to follow with great result at the end! Thank You!
These look delicious! Sadly, I did not manage to get the desired pop (maybe an overfill?), but we did end up with some tasty corn biscuit-y things (that I just polished off for breakfast). Determined to try again though!
Those look wonderful! I want to start a baking-pan library, so everyone can have access to unneccessary things like popovers and Dora the Explorer shaped sheet cakes. Every time I go to Williams Sonoma, I die over the adorable little petit fours shaped like flowers.
Is there some way you can use the popover pan as a centerpiece? A few pretty pebbles and a flower blossom in each cup? Soon Jacob will be old enough to use it to sort his LEGOs in. I use my mini muffin pans for holding beads between yearly batches of teeny-weeny cupcakes.
Popovers are one of my favorite types of bread, these look so delicious! I never would have thought to add corn to them, yum!
I love to make popovers, especially in winter when I serve them with a steaming bowl of soup. I’ve never made them in the summer, but your version with summer corn and fresh chives sounds like a perfect summer treat. Maybe I’ll serve them alongside a cold soup this time!
I make popovers in ovenproof coffee cups–makes for extra large popovers (yay!) but also for a nice presentation at the table next to soup, eggs, etc. Just fill the usual 1/2 to 2/3 full of batter, and bake for 5-10 minutes longer before opening the door to check on them.
these sound amazing and i’d love to bring them to an upcoming potluck bbq, but i’ve never had popovers not directly out of the oven – will these be good hours later or even the next day? if so, what would be the best storage plan so they dont get soggy or stale?
Not an accomplished cook, but have used the parmesan popover recipe from Neiman Marcus http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/food/articles/1031restreq1031.html
and always always been successful. As others have posted; warm milk, eggs at room temp, higher heat (450 for 15 min then 375 degrees for remainder). Have never put butter in bottom of pan, but it might help as I do have a problem with the popovers sticking.
I’m sorry it was a pain, but I’m glad you stuck with it. These looks really awesome. Where did you get your muffin pan? It’s so neat looking!
Awesome. I would probably swap the chives for scallions, because I have a bounty of both corn and scallions from our CSA. It’s all about using what you have after all!
I went to New Hampshire last Fall with my mom, and we found this cafe in downtown Portsmouth that had the most AMAZING popovers. Of course since it was called “Popovers” you would expect nothing less, right? But, I’d never really had a popover before and they were so good that we bought a dozen to take back with us. Of course we forgot about how we were supposed to pack them and had to get a little creative with space. WORTH IT! We had some very tasty, (smushed) snacks on the plane. Anywho, I’ve been in love with these eggy bread gems ever since and you’re recipe sounds so good! I’m definitely going to have to try it out… like now. Thanks for sharing!
Just made these and ate two – delicious. I think I’d add a pinch of smoked paprika or cajun seasoning when I make them again. Thanks for the great recipe!
Simple popovers are my absolute favorite bread, but these are clearly a step above my recipe! Great idea to blend in fresh corn.
I’ve always wanted to make some popovers for a morning brunch, but I’m on the fence of whether or not I should invest in a popover pan
What perseverance! I definitely would’ve quit after the 2nd failed attempt. Congrats on trucking through it and finally getting your popovers. They’re beautiful and look delicious!
These look amazing! We have a family tradition of popovers every Saturday. Up until now I’ve only made plain ones…. These look incredible! I can’t wait for the weekend!
Third time is a charm! These look absolutely delicious and I’m sure they were worth the frustration of the first two batches.
Thanks for the recipe – I made these tonight and they were delicious! I made a double batch because I have a popover pan with 12 tins – but I had enough batter for all 12 and then 7 more! I loved the onion/chive flavor and the sweetness from the corn. I used fresh corn and chives from the garden. I also followed the advice of previous posts about cooking at 450 for 15 min and then turning down to 375 for 15 min more. I think next time I would try to have the eggs and buttermilk at room temp – I got lift but the popovers didn’t really “pop over”. Super yummy and my husband couldn’t stop eating them!
Popovers were the very first thing I ever baked by myself as a child. Thank you for the moment of nostalgia, and, as always, for the great recipe and fun writing!
Wow, these look fantastic! A little bit like a more interesting version of our English Yorkshire Puddings. I wonder if they would go with gravy…
I have never had a popover and am very glad you answered my question about the pop over tin before I asked. I couldn’t understand why a muffin tin wouldn’t work…actually it seems easier for them to pop over a muffin tray because it looks shallower.
Yum Yum Yum! My mom used to make popovers when I was a kid! I stole her recipe last time I was home, but I haven’t gotten around to making it. I’d love to step it up a bit, like you did!
Smitten, I loves ya, but it’s 100 degrees here in Atlanta (and no, it’s not a dry heat). There is no way in hell I’m turning on the oven for anything, especially not for something non-essential like a popover. How about another great slaw or salad recipe? I’ve been working my way through your archives and I think I’ve made just about every one of those you’ve ever posted.
I hadn’t had a popover until a few weeks ago when someone made amazing yorkshire pudding for me. I’ve also coveted popover pans from afar but try also to resist buying single use items – so it’s good to know that regular muffin pans can be used! I’m glad you persevered with the popovers – they look amazing and I’m hoping to get to try to make them soon!
is this a dumb question? do i need to cook the corn off the cob first?
leigh — Not a dumb question and no, you don’t need to cook it first. It cooks in the oven for a long, long time.
Kris — I am sorry to have been a tease, but it was for the book. Or, I think it will be. I still have some decisions to make (good ones, because I like all of my choices for once!) so whichever isn’t used would end up here.
Made these last night – they didn’t “pop” in the muffin tin but they were still awesome. Spread them with a jalepeno-lime butter, although next time I might throw some diced jalepeno in the batter.
Great entry!
I did not read all of the comments but my tip is that the pan with the butter (or whatever fat you are using) needs to be heated in the very hot oven and then the batter poured into the hot molds and put back into the oven. It is hard for popovers to pop over starting from a cold pan. That has been my experience anyway. Oh, and yeah, I use muffin tins ;)
(Unrelated to this recipe…)
Hey Deb!
The Smitten Kitchen in Google Instapages video has been featured on The Register: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/08/02/google_chrome_thirteen_released/
So if you start seeing more UK techie visitors, you know where they came from.
I love fresh summer corn and I’ve been dying to try popovers! My husband wouldn’t let me buy that same popover pan because our small kitchen can only hold so many unitaskers so I really appreciate the instructions for muffin tins. Looking forward to trying these soon!
These do look delicious. But as a fellow NY’er, I too cannot fathom a one-purpose dish. Yet I really want to make these…
These look gorgeous. I’m going on a camping trip and have to do one breakfast. How long do you think they would keep?
And if it’s not more than a day or two, well, I can always just make them and eat them and make a batch of your Whole Wheat Apple muffins to bring along.
Your recipes inspire me so much. I want to write you a long e-mail telling you how much I love the smittenkitchen. I’ll get to it soon. In the meantime, thank you SO much.
I have only made popovers a few times, but make Yorkshire pudding regularly when serving beef (Mom’s recipe – handed down to this generation!). I use a black iron (well seasoned) muffin pan. This works great but must be well oiled and heated prior to filling it with batter. Also, starting at a high temp and reducing the heat produces great results. I will definetly try this recipe – but in my regular muffin pan to try the cold start method. I am willing to try anything once. (I am new to this blog (thanks Dana for telling me about it) – and have been on it for 2 hours – Yummy!! I am so addicted.)
I love popovers but they turn out perfectly only about 60% of the time. Maybe the pan is what I need! Regardless, these look perfect and I’ll try them out – just sticking with my trusty old muffin tin. Fingers crossed!
I made these last night in a muffin tin. Even though I brushed the cups with melted butter as instructed, I still had a hard time getting the popovers out of the tin. I might try non-stick spray next time. They were very tasty nevertheless.
This makes me want to go our and buy a pop over tin. Looks delicious!
Based on what Alton Brown says, popovers will keep if you poke a hole in them to let the air escape the inside and then put them in a ziplock bag or some other sealed container. I can’t wait to try these popovers! I have never put anything inside popovers (like herbs or corn) and can’t wait to try! Thanks for the recipe. Yum!
Debby @ 49: You can make soy buttermilk by souring it with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. I believe it’s a tablespoon of acid per cup of soy milk.
Sorry if someone else has posted a similar remark, don’t have time to scroll through the hundreds of responses but I make popovers all the time and have found that if I preheat the popover pan, with butter, and make the batter well in advance, allowing it to rest in the refrigerator, all comes together rather well.
I’m glad you tried, tried and tried again. They look beautiful—delicious.
Just saw the Google Chrome Instant ad that features Smitten Kitchen. Congrats! :)
I tried this with ramekins and did not have great success, although the flavor was very nice. I think it would be worth investing in a popover tin because the narrow walls increases the surface area-to-volume ratio of the finished product. With the ramekin you will likely need to increase the cooking time to allow the middle to cook through. Next time I’ll definitely try the tips from above to preheat the tin! Thanks for another inspired recipe, Deb.
looks great as usual
This is the Google Chrome Instant ad that features your website! Congratulations!
Or with some fried chicken (ad hoc recipe) and watermelon salad. I can’t wait to make these!!! yum :)
Looks so yummy. I’ve made popovers before in a muffin tin and they didn’t pop the way I wanted them to. I’ll have to give it another try.
Did you see the America’s Test Kitchen show where they made popovers? It was very interesting. I’ve never tried them. I think they said that using the popover pan was necessary to make them the right way.
Great recipe, Popovers are quite difficult, but you kept at it and they look great. I gave up after two tries once and never tried again. Thanks for the recipe and the inspiration for me to try them again.
Will be making these soon ..and might even serve them with corn chowder (Silver Palate recipe)..unless that is just too corny…I am currently surrounded by North Fork corn..and in my country kitchen I can store my Popover Pans ..2 of them.!. I only make popovers in the country..In New York, the Popover Cafe on the Upper West side has been making them perfectly for many years, served with strawberry butter. If you are coming out this summer, bring a good knife, and your popover pan..all the veggies are waiting for you!
Marcia — Can’t wait to get there next week!
As I’m sure you’ve already been made aware, you are featured in the Google Instant Pages video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jn93FDx9oI&feature=player_embedded
I think that’s pretty awesome for you and for everyone who has not yet had the pleasure of reading your phenomenal site! Mazal tov!
do you think i would work with frozen corn? thawed, of course.
unfortunately i don’t have access to decent corn.
Laura — No reason not to use frozen corn.
I just saw a screenshot of your page on this comparison of Google with instant search! Soooo neat!!
http://www.slate.com/id/2300808/
I wish I wasn’t going gluten free right now. These look awesome.
I’m on an oven hiatus right now due to high temperatures and no a/c, but this baby is bookmarked for next month when it cools down a little!
Does anyone else feel that there should be two sets of comments: one for the people who want to gush over the recipe and another for the people who have made it and want to share their excitement/frustration/advice/experience? The popovers turned out great but took forever to bake at 375. Also I’ll add more salt, double the chives and maybe add some grated parmesan next time. Also, add the corn at the very end. Thank you!
This delicious post is a good reminder that you did not forget us. Thanks for sharing.
These sound amazing! I love your recipes!
@cait – get thee to foodinjars.com and read her posts about making small batches of jam. Very practical, very good advice, very much compliments the world of the smitten…
The last photo has my mouth watering!
Hm. These completely failed to pop — I’ve got short, hard little muffiny things, no popping at all. Odd. The flavors in them are good, but no airy popped-over-ness. Bummer.
Iva- totally agree with all your comments. This recipe was definitely not perfect.
Those popovers look absolutely marvelous. I think adding some type of cheese to it would be my preference but its definitely a deliciously looking recipe for those looking to make popovers.
This is on the menu for tomorrow’s breakfast! Thanks Deb! Love your site!
Made these last night and was very dissapointed:(( My usual popovers are great, airy and light but these were a leaden mess. A waste of the best sweet corn we have had in ages. Don’t know what the problem was??? Will try to make again with a few tweeks and let you know what happens.
I have a tip for 100% puffage :) You oil the muffin tin (or whatever you are using) and put it in the oven until the oil is HOT. Then, fill them up half way with the batter and put them straight in the oven again. You know the pan is hot enough, because the first time you pour a little batter in the first muffin cup, it should sizzle. I drizzle canola oil (or duck/beef fat if feeling decadent) into the bottom of each pan, swoosh it around the sides of each cup and as we Yorkshire Pudding-eating Brits say, Bob’s your uncle.
Oh, and I cook them at 375 for about 15-20 (20-25 if using bigger muffin tins) mins, until puffy, then turn the temp up to about 400-425 for the last few minutes to brown on top. That’s just me though :)
Have you read the book “My Two Year Old Eats Octopus” by Nancy Tringali Piho? I think you would really like it. I have an almost 2 year old myself and looved her thoughts on kids and food. It seems like something you would enjoy too.
I just read your comment guidelines and I wanted to clarify that I am in no way associated with the book I mentioned. I just really like it. And your post made me think of it because of the references to your son eating things like tomato chive omelette (so really, it is related to the post!). And finally, I hope you don’t consider this “parenting advice.” Sorry for all the rookie mistakes.
I made a variation of these last night and they turned out great! I used skim milk (instead of buttermilk) and omitted the corn and cornmeal. I also added some parmesan cheese to the batter. I made a chive butter to put on the warm popovers too! They turned out very well, nice and eggy in the center. I turned up my oven to 425 degrees and cooked for 30 minutes. I used a popover pan and they did puff nicely, although not as much as some popovers have in the past. This time I did not pre-heat the popover pan per your directions.
O yummy!
I saw that Cait is looking for a great jam recipe to go with these. Try out this delicious looking sweet onion jam from the homesick texan blog.
http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2011/08/spicy-red-onion-jam.html
I must admit that you’ve frightened me a bit. Three rounds of popovers… But they’re so gold and so tempting! Like summer.
I tried these the other night and I was very disappointed. The turned out very dense and sunken in the middle. They did rise up quite a ways out of the popover pan, but never got light and airy. What did I do wrong?
Anne – I had the same experience – see my comment above (#95). NO idea why it went wrong – I make popovers pretty frequently, and have never had that problem…
Bummed that some people are not having great success with the recipe. I’m on vacation this week and away from my kitchen. When I get back, I’ll do some more testing and try to get to the bottom of it. Many comments above swear by the technique where you preheat the pan and pour in the batter while it’s broiling hot for maximum height. I did not use this because I found I could get a great height without it, thus had no desire to add an extra step. But, if it’s not working consistently for people the way they had for me, this would be the first place I’d go to adjust the recipe.
Hi Deb! I love your measuring cups and spoons, where’d you get them?
Nicole — I bought them eons ago (1999? 2000?) from Williams-Sonoma. They no longer carry them. Today, I’d buy ugly plastic OXO ones instead. They’re not as cute, but they’re far more accurate and at least in my kitchen, making recipes for other people to use, that’s more important these days!
I forgot to put the chives in (cut them but forgot to put them in), accidentally put both tablespoons of butter in and forgot to sour my milk but they came out delicious…just imagine if I had been paying attention to the recipe!
Mine didn’t get a lot of height but still delicious – love the addition of the chives. Tastes like summer!
Hmm. I used all the extra tips (let ingredients come to room temp, let batter sit a good while, pre heated oven). Got them all to pop but they tasted pretty heavy. In my opinion, mine had too much corn weighing them down.
This is the most attention I’ve ever paid to a popover recipe with the least success. Plain ones have never been a problem for me. Oh well, there are worse things than a droopy popover!
I made these in a muffin tin tonight. I got a nice even dozen, and they took about 28 minutes to get golden. I peeked too much, so they didn’t really pop, but that’s my own fault! They were delicious :) Not popped, but definitely not dense.
I just made these! Quite delicious!
Mmmmm, popovers! This sounds yummy and will try it Labor Day weekend. Favorite popovers: NYC’s Popover Cafe weekend menu: eggs benedict in a popover, with smoked salmon in place of ham. Mmmm, hollandaise over eggs and salmon and popover, a wonderfully over-the-top brunch.
Hey Deb, not sure if anyone mentioned it, but heating the milk up (just warm) right before you put it in the batter also helps in them popping higher :)
i wanted these to work and they didn’t. i tried it in a muffin pan — no go. they did not pop nor go over. i will not stop; i will get the pan this weekend. the idea is great, but first round a thumbs down. good luck.
p.s. i agree with Iva. i really only want to read post from people who have tried the recipe; i could careless if one thinks it sounds good.
never had a problem with popovers, but these didn’t pop for me. they’re very good muffins, not very heavy, but not popovers. Deb-your suggestions will be appreciated! thank you-
I tried these tonight in a standard popover pan, 375 for around 40 minutes with all ingredients as listed. They did pop up and over the pan, but once removed they kind of fell back down into kind of a cone shaped muffin. The popovers were pretty dense in the middle and still hot and steamy. I think I may have blended the batter too long or possibly didn’t wait long enough to let it come together. Taste was fine, but the consistency was not really what I was hoping for. I will give it another try though…
does anyone know if you can prepare popovers in advance, or can you eat them hours later, or even the next day? Having dinner guests tomorrow night and I need to know!
Hey! Just made these and they’re pretty good!
I’ve never had popovers before so can’t comment on the texture but it was like a spongy pancake. Didn’t have any chives so I added cilantro and 1tsp of chili powder. It’s not as tasty as I thought. (Can’t really taste the corn)
I baked them for 20 min @ 400 degrees in a mini popover pan. They popped up really high! I used the nordic ware mini pan and it worked wonders. Didn’t stick at all.
Made these tonight, with good results! I made a few changes — green onions instead of chives, used a food processor instead of blender, and did preheat the pan before brushing with butter & filling with batter. Mine had a pronounced dimple in the top, even after 40 minutes in the oven, and definitely collapsed as they cooled. But they were still very tasty, and I’m inclined to try them again. (p.s. I had them with the zucchini pancakes from this site and a tomato salad and it was the perfect late-summer meal!)
Wow!!! It was very tasty.
Thank you very much for this menu. *-*++
I didn’t think the popover could be improved- kudos, you did it!
I made these last night and they turned out very dense – nothing like a real pop-over. Even though I preheated the pan, they did not puff up.
I don’t even think these should be kept just for the summer!! I made a 15 bean soup with tons of meat from a leftover ham, lots of tomatoes and onions. I made it a little spicy too. These popovers were amazing with it. I have the exact same popover pan. I’ve owned it for a few years and have only made popovers once. It took me almost an hour to dig it out of a box in the basement. Now I’ll keep it in the cabinet with my muffin pans. I’m not telling my husband that I could have cooked these in anything but this pan. He tells me what he absolutely needs to make me something in the woodshop and I tell him what I absolutely need in the kitchen. It all evens out. :)
These are SOOO good. I made them more like muffins and they taste like my grandma’s cottage cheese muffins (sounds weird, but so good, trust me). I also used scallions instead of chives and they were delish and dense which i LOVE (even though I guess traditional popovers are supposed to be light and airy, I actually prefer the density). The only thing is.. I realized this morning I forgot to put salt in them! oops!! Thanks for this!!
Worked great for me. I used a fairly shallow muffin tin (1/2 cup filled the cup 3/4 full) and they popped up just fine at 20 minutes. I didn’t preheat, but I let everything come to room temp and I didn’t let the batter sit at all.
The recipe was great and so easy, I love only having to use a blender. I added one chopped jalapeno for a little heat and they turned out nice with just a little kick. Now I understand your dilemma over buying a pop-over tin, they just don’t look as glamorous out of a muffin tin.
Delicious-looking recipe. These popovers might just be the best alternative ever to biscuits or rolls. Thanks for sharing.
Used plain yogurt and Penzeys Parisienne mix instead of buttermilk and fresh chives and baked in a standard (though non-stick) muffin tin. Oh, and used a generous half-teaspoon of kosher salt instead of table. Just as I suspected, the first bite was “I should step away from these RIGHT NOW.” They didn’t pop up violently, but the almost-immediate sag once pulled from the oven told me they worked. Right up my alley, since I also love their sweet sister — the Dutch baby. In fact, I’ll have to try a savory version now based on your popovers. Thanks, Deb.
wHAT A FUN SITE AND WHAT GOOD WORK YOU DO HERE! Have a few comments/questions:
I’ve read and seen that muffin tins should be(counterintuitively) filled to the top- and they will give the desired shape and puff. And that the pans should be hot before buttering and filling. And that the batter should sit out awhile before baking. Have you tried any of those techniques?
I am new to your site so I don’t know your take on this, but I hope you are starting to use more spelt flour (milder than wh wheat) and other whole grain products in your baking. I am saddened that 99.9% of the baking sites i see- consistently use 100% white flour, which is just pretty nutritionally dead . But the other grain flours etc add so much depth of flavor and interesting texture. ( I say this as a 30 yr. professional chef/baker who used to use all white flour until a few yrs ago.)
Hi Mindy — I found I could get decent lift just using my instructions above but you can use your tips to achieve an even higher lift, I am sure. Good luck!
These look so tasty! Going to try them this weekend with whey in place of buttermilk and rosemary in place of chives because that’s what I have/need to use up :)
Your popovers are mouthwatering. I tried this recipe, but I’m afraid the end result was one big mess and nothing eatable.
I’m disaster in the kitchen. Eventually something good comes out, but then it’s nightmare to clean. Your kitchen looks so tidy. I wonder what your cleaning secrets are ;)
Great recipe, Deb. I really need to look into more recipes of yours.
Back on this one. Since I don’t have a popover pan, nor want to buy one, I backed my popovers in plain glass custard cups. Well, they came out pretty decent, at least for me.
I have a question though. Have you tried to bake one big popover from the whole batter. If not, do you think it would work?
Deb, these popovers look amazing! I will write down this recipe and will try it at home. If the popovers are delicious the way they look, I am in a big trouble… :)
I tried this recipe. I followed it to the letter, but the end result didn’t pleased me.
Maybe, it’s because I’m not used to the popovers’ taste or it just didn’t came out good.
It was puffy and soggy, and I think that the given temperature is too high, because the popovers turned golden brown in half the suggested time.
However, I’m very thankful for that I found this blog, because now I am inspired to make the recipe work for my taste.
Welllllllll, technically, a muffin pan is also a single use item, although one could use it to make popovers, or mini meatloaves. You probably didn’t think of making popovers or meatloaves or child food when you bought the muffin pan.
My mother got me the Nordic Ware popover pan for Christmas, which is why I’m cruising popover recipes – the pan is aluminum, nonstick, and she’s had great luck with hers, except for thinking the popovers are a bit dry. Neither of us thought to save the recipe which came with the pan, and according to Amazon reviews, it does use different proportions and cooking times than traditional popover recipes. So, I’m looking for exceptional popover recipes. (My latest embarrassing typo is now poopover. Aaargh!)
I was wondering if you had any tips for high altitude popovers? I have a recipe I try at home in Colorado and they still get the taste but not the height that makes them so good, any suggestions that I could change in the recipe to make them work?
Grace — I haven’t made any at high altitude because I live at sea level so I’ve had no chance to tinker. But this lovely blogger lives way up in Colorado and has a popover recipe that she says didn’t need an high-alt adjustments.
Mmm, these popovers looks so tasty!
But I’m afraid what will be the result if I try the recipe on my own…
Hi, Deb. I tried your recipe, but forgot not to open the oven door… and guess what – they get flattened.
Otherwise, they are delicious and as another reader said “mouthwatering” :)
Your popovers look really great and easy to make. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Although I am not very good in the kitchen I will definitely try it! I hope that the results will be satisfying. :)
Amazing recipe, Deb! I will try it at home, to surprise my boyfriend :)
It’s me again! :) I’ve tried your recipe for a second time and guess what – the popovers were like your!
Hi Deb,
If I’m making these to take to a BBQ, do I need to take them piping-hot, right-out-of-the oven, or would they still taste great an hour or so after baking?
Linda – I would ask the host if there oven will be available for your popovers. They really lose their magic the longer they sit out.
Thank you very much for such a great recie
Being from the UK I’ve never heard of a popover! Like you said it looks like a yorkshire pudding – with flavour! I have no idea if you can even buy popover pans here but I really want to try these.
I must have learned 30 years ago never to use a muffin pan for popovers so have been making them for that long in the same popover panAnd from the recipe — with variations– on the original box the pan came in. Just for fun I tried this one w/ ramekins, w a muffin pan and w the popover pan ( whose longevity certainly qualifies it for a proper name and well think about that…). Best rise was by far from the ramekins and pan. Muffin ones were a bit denser it smaller so cooking time was almost the same (2 minutes less til tops were crusty). I think there’s something to the heat just circulating better. All delicious, though, and all devoured. For some reason I’m thinking peach shortbread today. Your recipe for it is divine!
I managed to forget to buy chives so substituted thyme and it turned out really well.
Just made these last night–they were delicious! I also have the popover pan, and thought I’d mention that I once made miniature panettone in mine at holiday time. They were quite good (though not rich enough), if you’re looking for other uses…and recipe ideas….
Thanks for sharing this recipe! I tried it and the result was perfect! It was very yummy! :))
Deb I am new to your website. I really resonate to your cooking enthusiasm and passion. I have been making popovers for many years with an old recipe from James Beard. I fill the popover molds each 2/3 full. The batter is placed in a cold oven, then turned up to 425* for 30 to 35 minutes. I pierce them each several times with a skewer when I take them out of the oven. This recipe has always worked perfectly for me.
These are just gorgeous when they pop to their full height! So dramatic and tender! I think they would be really nice spread with some fresh chèvre and some garlicky herbs and maybe even some lemon zest. Major noms over here! And my first attempt at popovers was a success! I made mine in 4 cocottes and 1 ramekin and baked them for 40 minutes…before I had to inhale them immediately
Hi Deb, I am a German (Swabian) reader of your blog. I know popover as Pfitzauf as a traditional dish we eat it sweat with applesauce my youngest loves it. I will try yours as a new way, my older kid don’t like sweet dishes. I like your blog, I know America from a exchange programm and love the american kitchen.
Deb, can I make the batter the day before Thanksgiving and bake Thanksgiving day?? Thanks!
I am not positive it is advised, not enough of a popover expert, however, I see nothing in the batter that wouldn’t be fine for a day in the fridge, if not improved by the rest. Good luck!
I have loved popovers my whole life. They were a Christmas dinner staple in my family and every year there was some sort of panic about whether or not we had the apparatus in which to make them–we usually ended up using large ramekins that worked great. 34 years later my best friend gifted me with a real popover pan and it’s a popover game changer!!! Now there’s one less thing to stress about at my own holiday dinners. Going to try this recipe, they look great.
Do these freeze well? I’d like to make them ahead of time for Thanksgiving!
I’ve tried twice and could not get these to properly “pop”. :( They do taste good though.
If you open your oven to early they wont pop. Keep it closed and it will work.
This comment is years late, but in case you haven’t already discovered it — “The New Basics” is IMO easily one of the worst cookbooks ever published. Many of the recipes don’t work at all, and many of those that do technically work are just not very good. This is hearsay from long ago, but I’ll share it nonetheless: A friend of mine who has written for a cooking magazine for many years told us when this book was published that she was suspicious about the timing, since it came out so soon after the authors’ previous cookbook that she didn’t think the all the recipes could possibly have been tested properly. When asked about this, one of the authors confessed that she hadn’t even cooked most of them — she just sat down at her computer, wrote them out, and sent them straight to the publisher.
Having said all that, I’m excited to try these popovers, which sound both delicious and properly tested!
What? That’s terrible.
Screw a c hook into your pantry wall and hang up the popover pan. High. Worked great for me!!
Thank you for this wonderful pop over idea! I love pop overs and recently purchased a pan. Fresh corn is now available and this is just another wonderful way to enjoy!
Give the batter time to rest so that the flour is well saturated- like 30 minutes. They’ll pop better
I have successfully made popovers before and was suspicious when I read the instructions for your recipe–no heating of the popover pan in the oven while the oven was preheating, temperature at 375 degrees rather than 450 degrees. I still followed your directions with disastrous results. Under-baked (raw in the middle), didn’t rise properly, I even added five minutes to the baking time. Suggest that you revisit this recipe to tweak it. I’ll try it again but will definitely preheat the pan and increase the temperature to 450 as other recipes require.
I bet we could put this batter into a hot buttered cast 10” cast iron frying pan and make a great big Yorkshire Pudding type of popover. We’d probably get bigger servings, too! Yum!
I followed the directions exactly except I did not melt the butter first for greasing the popover pan. These were good, but they are not the airy, delicate popover that I have come to love.
I’ve always read that u need equal parts ( measuring quantity ) milk, eggs, flour… and all ingredients need to be room temp… then batter needs to rest in fridge?That is for Yorkshire puddings. I am very excited to try this one as I could eat them every day!
great flavor and wonderful idea. Mine did not pop but that is the fault of my oven not the recipe (or the chef). I followed the recipe very closely except omitted the sugar because local corn is sweet enough and I let the batter rest longer per my favorite popover recipe from Serious Eats.
I too have a popover pan and will today put it to good use.
Instead of bashing popovers (& popover pans), you should try plain old REGULAR popovers with butter & your preferred fruit jam! Really, you don’t need to put weird stuff in them!
Martha Stewart has a good recipe & instructions.
Do you ever use powdered buttermilk.
Love your recipes by the way♥️
Can’t wait to try these
Sometimes, but I find the acidity is never as strong.
Can you make this without corn?
Made this in a muffin pan and it filled up 12 muffins at 75%. It did take longer, it wasn’t brown enough on top at 30 minutes so I kept it in another 5-10 minutes.
I made these (but used the traditional 450 for 20 mins/350 for 17 mins baking method). Unfortunately they were rather bland and didn’t pop for me. Too bad!
Thank you for this amazing recipe! Loved it and will share with my fellow baker friends!
They look amazing, I’m sure the kids will love them
Baaam! This recipe tuned out spectacular on the first attempt and will be added to our Favorites folder.
Thank you so much for creating this perfect recipe.
Popovers are my thing. I started making them for family dinners when I was 12 years old and love trying new recipes so this really spoke to me. Flavor was delicious but they didn’t pop. Came out more like dense delicious muffins. Next time I will make the same batter but use the resting and cooking instructions from the foolproof method in a recipe on Serious Eats.
I made these Corn buttermilk popovers. So good, so easy and enjoyable. Have the popover pan too and this is the second time I have used it in 10 years. First time was Christmas for my in-laws. I didn’t have chives and only frozen corn but turned out great. Have both your books but didn’t see that in book but online. Thanks for including it in your blog.
Sincerely, Bonnie Lee, Edisto Island, SC.