Here in Canada, Thanksgiving was celebrated well over a month ago, but since I will always be a New Yorker, the real Thanksgiving for me is this week. I was planning on doing a big dinner here since we have had requests from a few of our Canadian friends looking to get in on a big U.S. Thanksgiving foodfest, but I am getting to feel too rushed since I am leaving for NY next week. I won’t make it in time for the holiday, so here is my little tiny pumpkin treat. These are lovely at breakfast with a little maple butter.
Popovers are an American treat that are a direct descendent to Yorkshire pudding. the only real difference is that Yorkshire pudding is baked in one large pan that is coated with the drippings of roast meat, and popovers are individual portions with the pan coated in melted butter (or in this case, PAM). Popovers are crisp and puffy on the outside, custardy on the inside; truly a delightful treat, whether you serve it with coffee in the morning or with roast beef in the evening (just delete the sugar and spice)
Check out this recipe for popovers. It is from 1877! Other than a few tiny tweaks that have been made in various cookbooks over the years, it is still essentially the same recipe that is still followed today. Talk about longevity! Or how about the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”!. Bake on…
Pumpkin Pie Scented Popovers
1 Cup all-purpose flour (I prefer unbleached)
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon if you prefer)
1 1/4 Cup milk
2 large eggs
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon superfine sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sift together the flour, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk together the milk, eggs,sugar, melted butter and vanilla. Pour over the dry ingredients and whisk until just incorporated. The batter should still be slightly lumpy. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes (or up to 3 hours. Don’t you just love make ahead recipes?). Okay, that was easy enough, now onto the slightly more tricky part.
Preheat your oven to 400 F.
You need to do this 30 minutes before you plan to bake your popovers. You need a good, hot oven for the “pop” in popovers.
Get you popover tray (or muffin tray, though you won’t get as much height) and spray the bottom of each mold with PAM. Place it in the oven for 10 minutes before baking.
After the popover pan has been heating up in the oven for 10 minutes, get a potholder and quickly take the pan out of the oven (close the door again). Quickly divide the batter between the six popover molds. It will sizzle when you pour in your batter.
Place the pan back in the oven and turn the heat up to 425F. Bake for 25-30 minutes . Do not be tempted to open the oven door to check on the popovers until the last 5 minutes to avoid deflating them. Remove them from the oven and unmold them onto a cooling rack. Puncture the side of each one with a small knife to let the steam inside them escape. Dust with confectioners sugar, if desired. Enjoy!
oh be still my heart- seriously, my heart is beating 90 to nothing with just the idea of these popovers- they sound and look delicious- too good for words!
That’s so funny–I have been ignoring all the American Thanksgiving hype and recipes because the real one for me was last month! I could definitely make an exception for these popovers though. I’ve never had spiced ones but am crazy about the plain ones with lots of butter. Enjoy your trip!
This looks amazing! We love pumpkin and these popovers are a MUST TRY !
Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
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