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My husband and I ‘popped’ into the mall the other day and happened to walk by a kitchen store. While I normally just walk on by (yeah right), this store was clearing out their entire inventory and will reopen as a different kitchen store in April. Don’t you just love a good deal? I certainly do and when I saw popover pans on sale for 50% off the already marked down price, well you know I had to buy one. I try not to buy too many specialty pans like the Madeline cookie and donut pans I have sitting on the shelf. Had I known what I know now, I may have paid full price for this popover pan.
Popovers are magical and made with normal pantry ingredients. Based on my research they are highly adaptable and sometimes include herbs, cheese, or sugar and cinnamon. Did you know you can add Prime Rib drippings and make Yorkshire puddings? Some say popovers are just an American version of Yorkshire pudding. Whatever, I love these things!
This recipe includes a healthy portion of Gruyére Cheese which is a slightly salty, almost sweet, yellow cheese. The flavor of Gruyére varies greatly depending on the age. I used an older, aged cheese that has a more assertive, intense and complex flavor. For this recipe I would buy the good stuff. You know everything gets better with age, like me!
Heating the pan in a very hot oven is key to making popovers ‘pop’ out of the pan.
Mine turned out like telescopes, rising up out of the pan, then taking a left.
Look at the yummy cheese – these things are wonderfully addictive, easy, delicious, fun and interesting. I’m not sure if this is typical but when I pulled them out of the pan I thought they would go all the way to the bottom. But several only had a little nub underneath. How funny. I could actually see them rise in the oven. I was mesmerized and watched them for a long time. I should have just pulled up a chair. I wonder what makes them ‘pop’ and crawl out of the pan like that?
Served warm from the oven, you can slather them with butter or other spreads, but I don’t think they need anything. The cheese flavor is perfect with the egg-y bread.
A light hollow middle means these were a success! Since they are light and not very dense, I guess I could eat two, or three – you know while they are warm – yum~!
Gruyére Popovers
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 30 mins
Yield: 6
Course: Bread
Cheesy and flaky and so delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 ounces aged Gruyére cheese, grated
Instructions
- Place a 6-cup popover can in the bottom third of an oven. Place a baking sheet on the rack underneath to catch any drips. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Sift together the flour and salt through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, about 2 minutes.
- Pour the milk into a small saucepan and heat on medium-high until the milk just starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and slowly drizzle the milk into the beaten eggs, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking. Keep slowly adding the milk until it is all incorporated into the eggs. Gradually whisk in the flour mixture just until blended.
- Remove the popover pan from the oven (it should have preheated at least 15 minutes) and spray the cups with a nonstick vegetable spray. Divide the batter between the 6 cups filling them about three-fourths full. Sprinkle each cup of batter with 1/6th of the grated cheese.
- Immediately return the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Quickly open the oven and rotate the pan 180 degrees, then reduce the oven to 350 degrees. Continue baking the popoversuntil puffed and browned, about 35 minutes. Do not open the oven again after rotating the pan.
- Remove the popovers from the pan and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Recipe may be doubled easily. If baking in the same pan be sure to wipe out any excess fat from the cups before adding new batter. Also preheat the pan in the same manner mentioned above. Recipe adapted from BLT Steak via Williams-Sonoma
I’ve had some questions about my ‘set-up’ when shooting food so I thought I’d share. I have a regular procedure that includes tucking a $5 shower curtain liner (available at Wal-Mart or Target) in the blinds of my living room window. We have bright afternoon sun that must be defused and this super cheap item is perfect.
On the right you see two inexpensive pieces of hard cardboard that are taped together to form a book. These white boards are used to reflect (bounce) more light from the opposite side.
On the floor is my Collapsible Reflector. I have a set of two with four different choices of finish. One side is gold, one is silver, one white and one is a combination. These are not expense but are worth the small investment. They collapse into a small 10 inch package perfect for taking with you where ever you shoot. They are great for portraits too. Since most of my shots are back-lit, I use the reflector to bring the light on the front of the subject.
And last but not least, I shoot most of my food on this $5 garage sale table. It’s light weight and is often moved all over the house to chase the light. During the day I throw a tablecloth and lamp on top and add a few framed photos. It is so easy to set up and break down so that works for me. A step stool, table cloths, napkins, colored poster board, a piece of Plexiglas and various dishes round out my blogging closet.
Now that you know about the shower curtain, you can see the window in the background. I own soft box lights but still prefer to shoot with only natural light. I also try very hard not to mix light sources. It is very hard to get the proper white balance on the photos.
I use Adobe Lightroom for all my post production work. I always sharpen my photos and often adjust the exposure and shadows. I’ve learned the hard way about people stealing photos using them on their own blogs. I put my watermark on all photos now.
I learn more every time I pick up the camera and hope to get more opportunities to shoot landscapes and wildlife. I recently sold some photos that were contracted for bake and shoot jobs. I love that!
How to you set up your photo shoots? Do you use any special equipment? Are you a Canon or Nikon person?
On another matter, we’re supposed to get 6-10 inches of snow today. Heavy sigh. Oh well. Maybe I’ll bake again! Thanks so much for stopping by!
Tricia
Karen Harris says
A couple of years ago a gourmet store in my area closed down and had popover pans on clearance, and for some reason I passed. I have regretted it ever since. I am so glad to see that you had the good judgement to head on up to the register with one. Thank you for this recipe and I'll be using it in a muffin tin because I didn't have the presence of thought to buy a popover pan . . . even
Daniela Grimburg says
Mmh, these pop up are to dye for!<br />I think I would just sit in front of the oven, watching them pop up like watching my favorite soap opera 🙂
Elzbieta Hester says
I would like some of those to pop up on my plate! Beautiful recipe! Nice photography…thanks for sharing your set up! 🙂 ela
Chris Scheuer says
Tricia, somehow I missed this post. Your popovers are making me drool – they look amazing! I love all your photography photos too. It always helps to see how someone else does it and what they use. Your photos are always wonderful. If I took pictures of my food no one would ever want to look at them. I really admire your skills!
Mary Callan says
I LOVE popovers! and these look splendid – lovely flavorings :)) I think your photography is wonderful – Its a constant uphill struggle for me – I was so interested to see your set up – it's a lot of work isn't it!<br />Mary x
Wendy says
Popovers have never appealed to me….until I saw your photos of these cheese-filled beauties! The problem for me with popovers is the lack of doughy inside. I am not a crust person so puffy, crusty popovers weren't my thing. However, I am very much a cheese person. Filling these beauties with gruyere is a huge improvement (for my tastes, anyway!).They look and sound delicious, Tricia!<br />I
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I LOVE popovers and I too bought my first popover pan several months ago. For me they bring back memories of my dad making popovers on Sunday mornings and we'd rip them apart and slather them with butter and jam.
Monica says
I adore popovers and make them in our regular muffin pans! They are so amazingly light and crisp and just delicious eaten plain or stuffed with something inside for a brunch. Yours came out so lofty – makes me want a real popover pan (going to sur la table is my weakness!). I keep dreaming about different types of popovers and this kind you've made with gruyere is right up there. As
Kari Lindsay says
I love me a good bargain too, and extra 50% off is my fave! These look so delish…moist and eggy in the center and crisp on the outside and gruyere is also my fave just perfect! Thanks for sharing your photography secrets, you inspire me to want to be a better photographer
Asmita says
These look so delicious!
Sue/the view from great island says
I love this post! I can see I a new pan in my future, and your recipe sounds like the perfect popover, I adore Gruyere cheese. I am going to sit down and study your photography set up, your photos are an endless source of inspiration to me 🙂
Kitchen Belleicious says
oh we love our popovers! They are just so darn delicious and much easier than making homemade bread or even biscuits are times. I just love your version with the gruyere
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
Tricia, these look so good. I hope you bought two pans because I could use one, too. Somehow popovers just don't taste or look the same when they come from a muffin pan. I guess one day I'll beak down and get one so my madeleine pan can have some company. And thanks for the photo tips. I am awful at that and if you lived here I would make you teach me. Light is my enemy. Well that and a
Angie Schneider says
Your cheese popovers look heavenly, Tricia. Love the pan too. <br />Thanks for sharing the photography tips!<br />Have a wonderful day!<br />Angie
Cheri Savory Spoon says
I'm so intimidated to make these little gems. One of these days, these look wonderful.
scrambledhenfruit says
These popovers look gorgeous, with their cheesy goodness! I think it's fascinating how they seem to get a mind of their own and pop up out of their pan. Thanks for sharing your photo set up. Your photos are always gorgeous! Hope you're enjoying the snow- Thankfully it doesn't seem to be quite as much as they predicted. 🙂
Big Dude says
The popovers look delicious Tricia
Anna and Liz Recipes says
Good Morning Tricia! Your cheese popovers look delicious! We could probably eat the entire basket. Thanks fro the recipe. <br />BTW, your photos are stunning!! We don't use any fancy technique or equipment, just the natural light in the room in the afternoon…. Have a great day! Stay inside and warm! xxoo