This favorite recipe makes the best, lightest pop-overs! Serve them like the White House Cookbook suggests, with a sweet sauce, or straight from the oven with a little butter.
Yesterday the children asked me, “Mama, what is a pop-over?”
It turns out that one of the little boys in school had said pop-overs were his favorite food, and my children were keen to learn what wonderful delight they might be missing out on!
Apparently is has been so long since I made pop-overs, that my little ones don’t even know what they are. Poor things! I told them if they would wait until breakfast the next morning, I would show them exactly what a pop-over is.
There are several recipes that I like for making pop-overs, but I think the very best is the recipe from N.T. Oliver’s The Century Cook Book. It calls for three eggs rather than two, and omits the butter sometimes found in other recipes.
I’ve always found it to result in the most perfect, heavenly pop-overs, even when one is out of practice at making them–as I seem to be!
POP-OVERS
Take one pint of sifted flour, one level teaspoonful of salt. Beat three eggs light, add one pint of milk, and gradually stir into the flour mixture; beat six minutes after all are together; put into gem pans, and bake from twenty to twenty-five minutes.
~Dr. N.T. Oliver’s The Century Cook Book, 1894
There are many delightful ways to serve pop-overs at the table. I enjoy them spread simply with a little sweet butter. However, many prefer them served with a sweet sauce, as the lovely White House Cookbook suggests. Offering plenty of both at the table is a sure way to please all gathered there.
Now that I have re-introduced my family to the joy of pop-overs, it would probably be prudent for me to memorize the recipe. The children were so taken with them, they will likely be on our table often this summer!
π Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400Β° F.
- Generously grease gem pans or small muffin tins.
- In a large bowl, stir together flour and salt until thoroughly mixed.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until light and frothy.
- Add milk to the beaten eggs, and stir well until mixed.
- Gradually stir egg mixture into the flour mixture.
- Beat for six minutes.
- Put into pans, filling each cup not quite full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until popovers are golden brown.
- Serve warm
Notes
Brenda Owens says
Do these pop up with a hollow center. They donβt look like it.
FlorenceNelson says
Hi Brenda! No, these aren’t like a cream puff, where you end up with a hollow center. These are a classic popover, which is light and fluffy, but not hollow.
Now that I come to think of it, I don’t recall having seen an actual hollow cream puff recipe in my 1800’s cookbooks. Chocolate eclair recipes were very popular and recipes are easy to come by. But now I’m curious, and may have to go research cream puffs. ; )
Hope this helps a bit! ~ A
Ash says
Hello!
I have made these twice now and they definitely make for a delicious little snack! I just seem to be doing something wrong and was wondering if you could help me figure out what.
My popovers have come out sort of flat and very dense on the inside, and sometimes have a hollow in the bottom of them that goes nearly to the top. They do not puff up like in the photos on this blog.
I do not have an electric mixer, so I did it by hand, and I am sure I did not mix well enough for the first batch; but I was very careful with the second batch and had the same result. I even looked up pictures of “light and frothy” eggs to compare!
Am I still mixing too little or might it be something else?
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Anna says
Hi Ash! I’m so sorry these aren’t puffing up fully. You’re right that the culprit is eggs that aren’t beaten quite high enough…I know that’s a LOT of beating by hand! I’m definitely familiar with exactly the result you’re describing, and in my experience I’d certainly pin the issue on the not-quite-fluffy-enough eggs. Hope this helps!
Linda says
Can this recipe be cut in half? If not, do they freeze well?
Anna says
Absolutely! To cut this recipe in half is slightly awkward since it calls for three eggs, but I’d do this by beating two eggs, and then discarding 2T of the whipped egg before adding to the recipe. This should give you just about exactly 1.5 eggs, and won’t affect the texture as it would if you just used the egg or the white from the second egg.
I have not tried freezing them, so if you do, I would love to hear how this goes for you! Thanks so much for the comment.
Jennifer Murphy says
I live at a high altitude and seem to find sometimes a little extra egg helps rather than the extra flour they always say to do. Guess Iβm saying you may be ok halving it and using the 2 eggs. Iβm a rebel and always like to try.
Quinn says
Has anyone tried this with whole wheat flour? That is all I have right now
Anna says
Hi Quinn, I’ve made these with “white whole wheat”, but not regular whole wheat. They came out a little more rustic than when made with all purpose, but still wonderful. Hope this helps a bit, and would love to hear how it goes for you if you do make them with whole wheat.