This recipe was written in response to a reader request. He had enjoyed many happy meals with his parents at a dairy restaurant in Brooklyn which served these tasty puffs with cottage cheese. Popovers are best right out of the oven, so cannot be made ahead of time. Perhaps, that is why it is now unusual to see them on menus.
The trickiest thing about popovers is the pan. Popovers must be baked in pans which are greased and preheated, because the action of the heat on the batter is the only leavening. You must buy especially heavy pans called popover or Yorkshire pudding pans. It is best to buy ones made of cast aluminum rather than cast iron, because cast iron is more brittle. You may want to make a double batch of batter, and buy twice the tins, because when the batter hits the preheated tins, they sometimes break. For the same reason, line the bottom of your oven with foil.

Popovers

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Sift together flour and salt into a mixing pitcher. Add eggs and milk to flour, whisking constantly, until batter is smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Put about 1 tsp. of the oil into each mold of two 4-mold popover tins or about 1/4 cup of oil into a large baking dish and put into oven until hot. Stir prepared batter until smooth, then quickly pour into hot molds or dish and immediately return to oven. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Copyright 2002 Eddy Robey
Excerpts from It's Not Just Chicken Soup.
hosted by the Gantseh Megillah
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