Bakers hot and cold when it comes to popovers

Occasionally my husband will chime in with a suggestion or two for this column. I listen more intently when they involve tales from his childhood. Recently he recalled the popovers his mother used to make. Living for a time on a military base in Morocco, his mother, Roseanne, did much of the baking for the family.

Now that caught my attention. I could not remember when, if at all, I made popovers. I listened as he described a favorite childhood treat and accepted the difficult challenge of re-creating a recipe from another person's taste memory.

Many cookbooks portray popovers as an American invention, but this culinary classic traces its recipe roots to Yorkshire, England. Centuries ago, English cooks referred to any baked bread or dessert dish as a pudding. These puddings could be either sweet or savory.

Looking to stretch roast meat at meals, Yorkshire homemakers poured a thin egg batter into a smoking pan of meat drippings. The heat blast created a puffed pastry, crisp on the outside and eggy on the inside. Savory drippings imparted meaty essence to this pastry that became known as Yorkshire pudding.

Interestingly, the recipe for popovers calls for the same ingredients as Yorkshire pudding: eggs, milk, flour and a touch of salt. Yet, that's where the similarities end. Yorkshire pudding bakes as a solid entity in meat juices while popovers steam to great heights with individual baking cups.

Without savory juices to infuse flavor, achieving great taste in popovers lies entirely in the baking method, and on that matter bakers are divided into two camps: the blazing-hot oven devotees and the cold start followers.

Testimonials to both methods boasting similar results only caused me to doubt everything I read on the subject of popovers. Taste buds vary, but food science remains the starting gate for any culinary investigation.

To understand how popover batter behaves in your oven, image blowing a bubble. Steam created by super heating liquid in the batter (from the milk) expands the popover batter. Protein in the eggs and flour create a soft shell that holds the steam. Extended baking at high heat firms the shell, creating a browned and crisp crust.

The hot-oven method involves pouring room temperature batter into a preheated tin. You can purchase special popover tins, but a tall muffin tin easily does the job. Placed in a scorching, 450-degree oven, the batter immediately begins expanding.

Alternatively, the cold start method starts with a similar recipe and mixing procedure, however, the oven remains off until the popovers are in the oven. After trying both methods several times, I can report that the results are not similar.

The hot-oven method produced a much higher and lighter popover. It's simply a matter of more heating time to expand the popover batter before oven heat hardens the crust. In contrast, the cold approach baked a more subdued and level popover shell.

How the two taste, of course, is a matter of opinion. The cold-method popover boasted a bold egg flavor and slightly chewier texture, while the hot-oven popover yielded deeper, savory notes. I prefer the later while my husband doesn't play favorites, enjoying them both.

Experiment in your kitchen and try both methods for popovers. Who knows what great memories you might rekindle?

• Annie Overboe, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, lives in Villa Park. Send questions to Baking Secrets, Daily Herald Food section, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or food@dailyherald.com. Questions will not be responded to personally.

dPopovers

1 cup whole milk

2 large eggs (or small eggs to measure cup)

1 cup all-purpose flour

teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon melted butter

Hot oven method: Heat oven to 475 degrees. Place heavy duty baking sheet in oven to heat. Set aside 6-count large size muffin tin. Do not grease or use paper liners.

Once oven reaches temperature, place muffin tin on baking sheet in oven to heat for 5 minutes.

For the batter: In 4-cup glass measure or medium bowl, whisk milk and eggs until completely combined and mixture is smooth.

In medium bowl, stir flour and salt. Add milk/egg mixture and quickly whisk just until combined. Gently scrape bowl to incorporate all dry ingredients. Batter will appear slightly lumpy.

Carefully remove hot muffin tin from oven. Quickly brush bottom and sides of each cup with melted butter. Fill each cup half full with batter. Quickly place muffin tin on hot baking sheet in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake for 20 minutes. Do not open oven door. Reduce temperature to 375 and bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden brown and puffy. Remove from oven and, using a fork, gently pierce each popover to remove from hot tin. Serve hot or cool on rack 30 minutes before storing.

Cold oven method: Do not heat oven. Brush muffin tins with melted butter. Place in freezer while preparing batter as listed above. Remove muffin tin from freezer and fill half full with batter. Place in oven and then heat oven to 450 degrees. Bake popovers for 30 to 35 minutes, until puffed and light golden brown. Do not open oven door to check for doneness until after 25 minutes. Using fork, gently pierce each popover to remove from hot tin. Serve hot or cool on rack 30 minutes before storing.

Baker's hint: For savory flavor, substitute 1 teaspoon onion or garlic salt for the plain salt and add 1 teaspoon favorite dried herbs.

Serves six.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per serving: 126 calories, 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 18 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 6 g protein, 77 mg cholesterol, 219 mg sodium.