Deceptively Easy Popovers

One of our family's Christmas traditions is eating a left-over lunch from our big Christmas Eve dinner with my mom's family (after spending all morning in our pj's playing with our new "toys"). The menu includes things like shrimp cocktail, spinach dip, and stuffed mushrooms, but new this year were these beauts: amazingly easy popovers, made in muffin tins (not requiring fancy popover pans,) full of tender, eggy, steaming goodness.

Side note: Did I mention that I gave up veganism over the holidays? I decided that a Christmas with my family as a vegan, would be quite depressing (for me and them) and that I would ease up to more vegetarian standards of eating.

The preparation of these puffed wonders couldn't be any easier, with only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time. Just be sure not to open the oven door or go stomping through the kitchen while they are baking, unless you want pancakes instead of popovers.

Here's the recipe (courtesy of Real Simple Magazine):

Secretly Easy Popovers

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
• 1 1/2 cups all-[urposr flour, spooned and leveled
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Heat oven to 400° F. Brush the cups of a 12-cup nonstick muffin tin with butter.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, eggs, butter, and salt until only a few lumps remain (do not over-mix).

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups and bake until puffed and a deep golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. (Do not open oven door before 30 minutes or the popovers will collapse. Remove 1 popover to check that the underside is browned.) Serve immediately.

I served these babies hot out of the oven with lemon curd and apricot-raspberry preserves. Every one was waiting intently at the table at the ready to dive in, each little puffed wonder billowing out steam as it was pulled apart and slathered with fruity goodness. They were a hit. I want to try a savory version in the future, incorporating fresh herbs (perhaps a lemon-thyme and black pepper popover?)