Popovers - 2 recipes!

Hello readers,

Here are two recipes for Popovers (aka "Yorkshire Pudding"), per Courtney's request. These are a favourite in our house at Thanksgiving. There is debate, though, about whether to start Popovers baking in a cold or preheated oven - you can try it either way with these two recipes.

From the "Fannie Farmer Baking" cookbook -

**Start these in a COLD oven.

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

Butter muffin pans or popover tins.

Mix the eggs, milk, butter, flour, and salt just until thoroughly blended, without overbeating - a 1-quart glass measure with a spout is a good for mixing, because you can pour the batter right into the pans. Half fill the prepared pans, and set them in a cold oven. Turn the heat to 450 degrees F and bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake about 15 mins longer, until they are puffed and golden brown on top. Remove from the pans and serve piping hot.

Variation: whole wheat popovers - use 2/3 cup whole-wheat flour and 1/3 cup all-purpose flour instead of 1 cup all-purpose flour. These will not rise as high as regular popovers.

From "The Joy of Cooking" cookbook -

We prefere a preheated 450 degree oven. Popovers like soufles, need bottom heat only, so be sure if your oven is the type that supplies top heat when set on Bake, to remove the upper heating element. Have ready buttered deep muffin or popover tins. If you use highly glazed deep custard cups, grease them lightly and - depending on what you are serving with the popovers - dust the cups with sugar, flour, or grated Parmesan cheese. This will give the egg something to cling to. Have all ingredients at about 75 degrees.

Beat until just smooth:
1 cup milk
1 tbsp melted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Add, one at a time, but do not overbeat:
2 eggs

The batter should be no heavier than whipping cream. Full the buttered deep bakers 3/4 full. Don't overload - too much batter in the pans will give a muffinlike texture.

Bake at once. After 15 mins, lower the heat without peeping, to 350 and bake for about 20 mins longer. To test for doneness, remove a popover to be sure the side walls are firm. If not cooked long enough, the popovers will collapse. You may want to insert a sharp paring knife gently into the other popovers to allow the steam to escape, after baking.

Variation: whole wheat -
Prepare:
popovers, above

Substitute for the flour:
2/3 cup fine whole-grain flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour