Popovers

My husband and I went to a restaurant several years ago.  It was a restaurant we had never tried before.  We had an entertainment book with buy one meal get the second free.  It was a nice, sort of elegant restaurant and we were excited to try it.  The waiter came with a bread basket and we uncovered the warm contents.  They looked to be little football shaped burnt looking little loaves of bread served with a whipped butter on the side.  Yuk!  Why did we waste our money coming to this restaurant!  We were hungry, so we decided to pick at the bread a bit to tide us over until the meal came.  Hopefully that would be good!  Spread a little of the softened butter on the burnt bread to make it swallowable.  Bite, mmmm...is this ever good.  Not at all like they looked.   Those "burnt looking" little loaves were popovers and they were served with honey butter!  They were delicious and were we ever glad we had tried them!  We ended up eating all 4 of them and enjoyed every bite!  They weren't burnt at all.  I don't remember what the entree we had that night was, but I do remember those little popovers.  I have wanted to make them ever since.  I have seen recipes and have intended on making them, but somehow never did.  Maybe I was afraid.  I don't know why.  Maybe I thought they would be too hard or complicated or that they wouldn't turn out.  I even bought a popover pan at a garage sale that sat here for a few years.  So today, I blew the dust off  of the popover pan and actually made them.  They turned out great!  I even made honey butter to spread on them.  I don't know why I waited so long.  They were very simple and delicious.

Popovers with Honey Butter

1 1/2 t. shortening

2 beaten eggs

1 cup milk

1 T. cooking oil

1 c. all purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

Grease popover pan or six 6-ounce custard cups with 1/4 t. of the shortening for each cup.  Place custard cups or popover pan on 15x 10 inch baking pan or baking sheet and place in oven; preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Meanwhile, in a 4-cup liquid measure or mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, and oil.  Add flour and salt.  Beat with electric mixer until smooth.  Remove pan from oven.  Fill hot custard cups or popover pan half full.  Return to oven.  Bake 450 degrees for 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes more or until very firm.  (If popovers brown too quickly, turn oven off and finish baking in the cooling oven till very firm.)  A few minutes before removing from oven, prick each popover with a fork to let steam escape.  Serve hot.  Makes 6

Honey Butter

1/4 cup softened butter

1 T. honey or to taste

Beat butter and honey together to combine.  Serve with popovers.

***You could also blend butter with say orange marmalade in place of honey to serve with popovers.