Popping over

I remember when I was a kid in the 1970s. On very, very special occasions, my parents would dress my brother Marc and I up and take us to the local steak house. I don't remember the steak. But I remember the popovers. I was amazed at how these delicate breads popped right out of the cup they were baked in. And when you broke open the crusty outside, steam escaped, revealing a chewy layer around a hollow center.

I moved away in the 1980s, the steak house eventually went out of business and I didn't see another popover until a few years ago at a friends house. I couldn't believe it was possible to make them at home. I thought you had to have a special pan, an industrial oven.

I've been making these popovers ever since. They're perfect when I want to serve fresh bread but don't have hours for rising and proofing a yeast bread. And with the cheese they are so flavorful that you don't even need butter.

Popovers before:

1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbl. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. salt (less if using salted butter)
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated cheddar or Gruyere cheese (optional) *
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
Preheat oven t 450 F. Bring all ingredients to room temperature. Combine milk, flour, butter, salt and eggs in a bowl and mix until smooth (like pancake batter). Add cheese. Spray pop over molds or muffin tins with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan, filling each cup no more than 3/4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 F. (do not open oven door) and bake an additional 20 minutes. Popovers are done when they are golden and firm all the way around.
Recipes makes eight to 10 popovers.

*Cooks note: I don't believe in pre-shredded cheese. I find it's dry and doesn't melt well. And it doesn't really take that long to shred 1/2 a cup of cheese. I use white cheddar.

Popovers after: