It is common knowledge that my mom is a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen. This morning over breakfast, my boyfriend asked me what she is known for. The two things that popped into my head were Applesauce Cake and soup. My mom is a soup maestro. Growing up, Mondays were soup nights. One of the best parts about soup night was the dunking; crispy French baguettes, soft homemade bread, biscuits, rolls, and the kid’s favorite: gluten-free popovers.
I’m not sure when the obsession with popovers started, but I think it was somewhere around age six for me. Popovers are fluffy, buttery, moist, crunchy, almost pancake-like confections. They are amazing with pretty much every meal; butter and jam for breakfast, dipped in soup for lunch, mopping up sauces for dinner. The funny part about popovers, is that my mom couldn’t ever seem to get them out of the pan, so they became affectionately known in our house, as “topovers,” as only the tops were ever edible. I blame it on the recipe she used, because my experience with popovers has been great! There are special pans for making popovers, but I just use muffin tins and they come out amazing every time.
Gluten-free popovers have become a staple when I host Thanksgiving. I know traditionally people make cornbread or dinner rolls, but that’s the beauty of hosting, you get to make whatever you want! Smeared with herbed butter, and whew, they will knock your socks off. These take 30 minutes to bake exactly, so I like to make them right before we sit down to eat, fresh is best!
Gluten Free Popovers
Yields 12
3 eggs
1 ½ c. milk- I use cows milk for this recipe
1 ½ c. 1-to-1 gluten free baking flour
1 ½ T. butter + 1 T. for buttering the pan
½ t. salt
Herb Butter
1 stick of salted butter-softened
1 T. fresh sage
1 T. fresh chives
1 T. fresh parsley
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Get out all the ingredients and let them come to room temperature.
2. Melt the butter and set aside to let cool.
3.Grease 12 muffin tins VERY well with butter. Not just so you see a sheen, but an actual white film with small clumps of butter. It takes me about 1 tablespoon, sometimes a bit more.
4. Measure out all the ingredients.
5. Once the oven has preheated, put the buttered pan into the oven. Set a timer for 2 minutes.
6. While the butter browns, quickly mix together the eggs, milk, butter and salt, adding in the flour last. The batter will be smooth and thin, like crepe batter.
7. Once the timer goes off, take the pan out of the oven and pour ladlefuls of batter into each tin. It will fill them about ¾ of the way full. Use all the batter. Work quickly.
8.Bake for exactly 30 minutes, and do not open the oven during cook time, use the oven light if you must peek! Once they are done, run a butter knife around the edges and lift them out.
9. While the popovers bake, mince the herbs and beat into the softened butter. Form into small balls or a long log and chill until ready to use. You can also scoop it into silicone candy molds for a festive touch. I typically account for one tablespoon of butter per person, but it’s great to have leftovers to use for omelets or pasta dishes later in the week!
