Popovers Upon Rising

By CYNTHIA COWAN

The Friday night after Thanksgiving is the busiest night of the year for restaurants. Even though there is a fridge full of leftovers, many opt out of the kitchen in favor of reservations. When guests tend to stick around until Sunday, there is plenty of time for leftovers anyway. Except at breakfast. A turkey wing with the morning coffee just won’t fly.

Something warm and delicious that is deceptively simple is the saving grace upon rising. Something not too heavy, though, remembering that your loved ones have recently consumed well over their daily caloric needs.

Bake up an impressive batch of towering, impossibly light popovers. Loved by all, popovers have a wow factor that affects both young and old. The egg-rich batter miraculously pops up to four times its size, the lofty golden brown crust encasing large air bubbles caught within its tender interior.

Popover recipes are very similar, all containing flour, salt, eggs, butter and milk. However, some popovers are richer than others (and better), boasting a higher fat content, like the following version adapted from a recipe in Rosso & Lukins’ The New Basics Cookbook. Invest in a popover pan for perfect results (Leroux has them). You can use a cupcake tin, but they won’t reach such amazing heights.

Perfect Popovers

2 Tablespoons butter, plus more for buttering pan

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 12-cup popover or muffin tin. Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter, set aside. Combine flour and salt in food processor. Add eggs and process until well-blended, about 10 seconds. Combine milk, cream and melted butter and pour through feed tube while machine is running. Process until smooth. Mixing can also be done with an electric mixer. Fill buttered tins two-thirds full. Bake for 35 minutes in the center of the oven. Do not open the oven door, not even to sneak a peak, until the time is up. Remove and serve immediately. Warm out of the oven, slathered with butter, honey or jam, there is nothing better to say, “Loved having you, now which boat did you say you are on?”