cheddar chive popovers with honey butter
This Friday be poppin’, yo.
I believe sometime during quarantine, really when the FMG phenomenon was born, I made popovers for the first time. J and I oft simulated going out to dinner since we were cloistered indoors and needed a sense of escape during that period. I was probably browsing Pinterest for inspiration when I came across the mysterious popover.
No longer a mystery. I love these big headed bready bastards.
Popovers are an ideal dinner accompaniment when you need a carby fixture but don’t have a lot of time or ingredients. They apparently were inspired by Yorkshire pudding – effectively the Americanized version of the British standby. The aesthetic of the popover is largely based on the method of whipping the eggs to oblivion, creating deep air pockets that balloon when baked. The inside is hollow and almost looks like a spiderweb of bread (yes, great image, thanks asshole) while the outside crisps and browns beautifully.
This particular version includes fragrant chives and a good hit of cheddar for a phenomenal twist sure to please anyone who might try one. The honey butter? A perfect sweet and salty smear to contrast and compliment. These can weave into your summer meals and melt gracefully into autumn, too, which so closely approaches. Woohoo.
Nothing Overwhelming about Popovers
The first key to puffy popovers is preheating the popover pan. Or, if you don’t have a popover man, a muffin tin – you’ll just get mini popovers instead, which are cute and just as tasty.
I typically get the oven going and place the pan inside to preheat. Then, when I’m about 5 minutes from being ready to fill the tins, I add a teaspoon of butter to each and place the pan back in the oven so the butter melts and browns a bit. You need a real hot oven, 450 degrees, and a hot pan to create the desire effect.
Then, mix up the batter. Start by whipping eggs and whole milk, both room temperature, very vigorously for a minute. Like, fast enough you might strain your forearm like I did one day making the Nutella brownies.
Mix in flour, salt, shredded sharp cheddar, and chopped fresh chives until combined. Lumps are ok in the batter, just make sure they aren’t giant and the flour is incorporated into the wet ingredients.
Pop Goes the…Over
Take the buttered popover pan out of the oven and swirl the butter around or use a pastry brush to gently brush it up the sides. The pan is hot as shit so don’t touch it.
Divide the batter into the tins (I used a soup ladle for this. Still a bit of slosh but not nearly as bad), filling them only 3/4 of the way to the top. Bake for 20 minutes at 450. This is real important, so pardon my yelling…
DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR.
Just like with the Lemon Sugar and Cinnamon Sugar Peach Dutch babies, letting it any cool draft will cause the dough to deflate. Do not want.
After 20 minutes, turn the temperature down to 350 and bake 10-15 minutes longer until nice and golden and really poofed up. After those 10 minutes, you have my permission to open the door. The popovers should be at their maximal height by then.
While the popovers bake, I mix up some extra butter with honey and flaky salt to spread over the warm popovers. Sweet and savory is my shit.
Popovers didn’t rise? A couple things could’ve happened.
You didn’t preheat the popover pan long enough. This is imperative for the rise, just as in the Dutch baby.
You didn’t whip the eggs and milk long enough. You should see a good amount of bubbles and a disturbed, frothy texture. If you don’t, keep whipping.
The batter was too cold. Cold eggs or cold milk will hinder the rise.
If you have any trouble, you can always, always ask me in the comments!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
cheddar chive popovers with honey butter
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp + 6 tsp butter, softened
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
- 2 tbsp honey
- flaky sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Place 1 tsp of butter into each popover tin. Set the pan in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove, then swirl or brush the butter up the sides of the tins.
- In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the eggs and milk until very bubbly and frothy, about 1 minute. Add the flour, salt, cheddar cheese, and chives. Whisk to combine. Some lumps are okay.
- Divide the batter into each popover tin, filling only 3/4 of the way to the top. Bake for 20 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR DURING THIS TIME. NO. DO NOT.
- With the oven door still closed, lower the temperature to 350 and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
- To make the honey butter, stir the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter with the honey and a pinch of flaky salt. Serve the popovers warm with plenty of the honey butter. Slather that shit on. Oh yeah.
