Gruyère Popovers

SnacksBreads and LoavesBreakfastAppAppetizers

Nov 12

Popovers are one of those fun items you can prepare ahead of time and are such a hit every time. They are elegant-looking and elevate any dinner party. I grew up eating my mom’s popovers with grape jelly and have been recreating them ever since. These are classic popovers, light and airy and ready-for-butter-or-jam, with a hint of Gruyère cheese because, why not?! You could easily alter this recipe and add various types of cheese and spices or even make them sweet and add in cocoa powder or vanilla extract and roll in cinnamon sugar. The possibilities are endless…. let’s get cookin’!

**Makes 8-10 medium-sized popovers or 12 regular-sized popovers

INGREDIENTS
Popovers
3 large eggs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Turkey drippings, bacon fat, softened butter, or vegetable oil (about 1 tsp per muffin cup)

Cranberry Rosemary Compote
1 cup whole cranberries, fresh or frozen
2/3 cup brown sugar, light or dark works - I have tried both!
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tbsp lime zest
2 tsp orange zest
1 tap lime zest
1 sprig fresh rosemary

Salted Honey Butter
1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp sea salt (more to taste if you prefer)

Instructions

Crack your eggs into a bowl and beat until eggs are foamy and have air incorporated into them, about 2-3 minutes. Next, add in the flour and whisk into a thick paste.
Add half of the milk and whisk into mixture until well combined before adding in the other half of the milk to the bowl. Whisk again and add in your cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk one last time for another 2-3 minutes, incorporating as much air as possible into the batter. Cover bowl with cling wrap and allow to rest in fridge for minimum of 2 hours.
Ten minutes before the batter is ready to come out of the fridge, preheat your oven to 400 F. Take a 12-cup muffin tin and grease softened butter (or fat of your choosing) into each muffin cup. Place in the preheated oven for about 6-8 minutes until fat is bubbly and hot.
Take your batter out of the fridge and mix well one last time. Carefully pour in the batter about halfway into each cup of the preheated muffin tin. If you choose to pour in about 3/4 of the way up the muffin cup, the popovers will become larger and come out more misshapen (not the traditional popover shape) - which is no bad thing!
Bake at 400 F for about 20-25 minutes - DO NOT OPEN THE OVE DOOR! - until they have puffed up and are golden brown. Opening the oven door will allow cool air to come in and your popovers will deflate. Yes, they are that dramatic. But as long as you keep the oven door closed, they should come out perfectly puffed and golden.
While the popovers are baking, make the compote (or salted honey butter).
1. For the compote:
  1. Combine all ingredients except for the rosemary sprig in a saucepan over medium high heat on the stove. Mix the ingredients together to ensure sugar begins to melt down and everything is well combined. Press down on cranberries while they heat through, allowing them to release their natural sugars and become a muddled, thickened sauce. Stir every few minutes.
  2. After about 5-7 minutes of simmering/bubbling, add in the sprig of rosemary for the final 2-3 minutes of cooking to allow the essence to infuse into the compote.
  3. Take the sauce off the stove after about 9-10 minutes of cooking. Remove the rosemary sprig and mix. Allow to cool slightly before serving with popovers.
2. For the salted honey butter:
  1. Combine butter and honey into a bowl and whip with a hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add in salt and serve.
Once popovers are out of the oven, remove from muffin tin and serve with cranberry rosemary compote, salted honey butter, jam or jelly of your choice, or even just eating them alone is delicious. Enjoy!