Popovers are so special to me. I have a Pepe Le Pew reaction to them. That seductive scent of fresh-baked loveliness pulls me into the kitchen. It's basically pancake batter baked in a goofy muffin tin, but whatever magic happens in the oven transforms them into crusty/custardy/eggy/savory/sweet balloons of joy. They also have an almost instantaneous life span. They must be enjoyed in the moment, like a surprise thunderstorm, or else the magic is gone.
To gild the lily, I made a roasted fig butter to go on top. Popovers are the world's best conveyance of butter ever created. Enjoy!
NOTE: If you don't have a popover tin, use custard cups -- not a muffin tin -- instead. Custard cups have the right depth.
INGREDIENTS (POPOVERS)
For 1 dozen
butter, for greasing
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 cups milk (2% or whole)
6 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, browned
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425F. Grease a pop over pan with butter (about 1/2 a teaspoon per divot) and set aside.
Beat everything together until smooth and no lumps remain. Place the pan in the oven for 2 minutes, until the butter is melted. Fill half full and bake for 15 minutes, turn down oven to 350 and bake for another 15. Immediately pop out of the tin and place in a bowl lined with a clean kitchen towel. Serve immediately.
INGREDIENTS (ROASTED FIG BUTTER)
1 bunch rosemary
4 ripe figs, halved
[NOTE] If you can't find fresh figs, use a 1/3 cup of fig jam, plus 1/4 teaspoon of finely chopped rosemary
olive oil
4 ounces (one stick) butter
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400F
On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lay the rosemary, then place the figs face side up on top. Drizzle with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until the figs are juicy.
Remove the figs from the oven, let them cool, then combine them, leaving behind the rosemary, then butter either mixing by hand or in a food processor. Dump the butter mixture out onto parchment paper, roll into a log, and firm up in the fridge. Serve popovers with a slice of fig butter.
For more recipes like this one, check out my blog The Kitchy Kitchen.