Yorkshire Puddings or Popovers

Yorkshire Puddings or Popovers are sort of like souffle shaped dinner rolls which are made from a batter —  but they can also be stuffed or filled, savory or sweet.   They can have cheeses and seasonings added to the batter or not.   They can be served as the main course, an appetizer, a side dish, a dessert, a snack, etc.

You can use an actual popover pan, but a regular muffin pan works equally well.

 

Yorkshire Puddings or Popovers

Yield:  12 popovers

4 large whole eggs, at room temperature before cracking open
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1/4 cup half n half, at room temperature
1 tablespoon salted butter
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Crisco (hydrogenated vegetable oil), lard, or congealed bacon grease, at room temperature
Beef broth

Optional:

1/4 cup dry granulated Parmesan or Romano cheese plus 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning and herb blend for savory popovers

1 to 3 Tablespoons sugar for dessert popovers

Be sure to have all ingredients at room temperature before using. Do not crack open eggs until after they have warmed up to room temperature all the way through — for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Melt the butter and set aside to cool down so it doesn’t cook the eggs.

Adjust the oven rack to position one level lower than the center. Remove the other rack from the oven.  This allows plenty of room for expansion without touching anything above or getting too close to the heating element.

Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees.

Grease each popover or muffin cup generously as well as generously greasing the top of the pan.  Because they rise so very high and creep out over the edges,   the top of the pan must be greased to prevent sticking as well as making it easier for them skate across avoiding risk of deflation due to friction.

Add 1/2 teaspoon grease and 1 teaspoon beef broth to the bottom of each cup. Place pan in the oven to melt and preheat the pan. The grease will very likely become smokey; turn on the vent and/or open window.  You want the pan as well as the grease and broth to be smoking hot before adding the batter.

Sift flour and salt together into a large mixing bowl.

Stir in the optional ingredients if using.

Add remaining ingredients and whisk together to form a batter.

Once combined, beat the batter with an electric hand beater (or continue to whisk by hand).  Stop to scrape around the sides and the bottom of the bowl a couple of times with rubber spatula. Continue to blend until the batter becomes very silky smooth in texture.

Put the batter into a pitcher with a good pouring spout.

Allow the batter to to rest for no less than 15 minutes and preferably for 20 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator before pouring into pan.

Open oven door cautiously in well ventilated room (turn on vent and/or open window) to allow possible smoke to clear.

Slide the oven rack with smoking hot heated pan out for easy access.

Pour the batter carefully into the hot grease and broth mixture of each cup, filling each cup only half full.

Slide rack with the batter filled pan back into the oven to bake.

Do NOT open the oven door during baking.  Any sudden temperature variation or draft will cause to deflate.

Bake for 20 minutes at 425 F degrees then reduce oven temperature to 350 F degrees. Bake until puffed and golden brown, about 12 minutes more.

Watch closely since individual oven temperatures can vary by as much as 25 F degrees and bake times can vary at different altitudes.

Immediately after baking, poke the top center of each with tip of knife to release steam and prevent sogginess.

Cool in the pan for ten minutes before turning out to finish cooling. Cool on wire rack or towel spaced apart. This allows steam to evaporate better avoiding sogginess as well as faster and more even cooling.

When cool, may fill if desired or they may be served plain (warm or cold) with honey, syrups, butter, herbed butter, honey butter, jam, jelly, marmalade, etc. as desired.

Recommend waiting until ready to serve before adding any filling. Once filled they will need to be served right away or refrigerated in airtight container. They are best when served fresh.

To fill, slice in half and spread between or insert custard or jelly doughnut filling tip into the side then inject the filling.

They may be filled with any sweet or savory filling desired.

I like to combine cream cheese, seasonings and herbs, with a choice of meat, poultry, fish, or crab meat and sometimes will mix in some caramelized onions, bell pepper, and garlic after cooling for savory popovers.
For dessert popovers I fill them with custards, puddings, fruit or berry pie/cobbler fillings, jellied fruits and berries, or with jams and marmalade.

Sometimes, no matter how careful — due to shifting weather, barometric pressure, vibrations when walking across the floor or shutting doors, or the elusive oven Gremlins –Yorkshire Puddings (as the English call them) or Popovers (as Americans call them) will deflate leaving a large sink hole in the center. Simply stuff that cup-like sink hole full of wonderful fillings and enjoy them anyway.