Popover fail

October 1, 2017 7:42 PM

I used to love the popovers at Popovers Cafe but since they closed I've been forced to attempt to make them myself. I bought a large pop-over pan, and attempted this recipe and this one. They just did not come out the same, both a bit soggy inside. Hope me?
posted by Sophont to Food & Drink (7 answers total)

I make mine in a cupcake pan using the King Arthur Flour recipe, which I know you are not supposed to do and it does make them sort of weirdly shaped, but they have never been soggy for me.

Also, maybe your oven isn't hitting temperature? Try raising the temp 10-20 degrees?
posted by Toddles at 7:46 PM on October 1, 2017

Check your oven temperature.
posted by ottereroticist at 8:10 PM on October 1, 2017

I've made Molly Katzen's popovers for decades and they're always delicious. It's so much more forgiving than the recipe I clicked on in your post. You can look it up for precise amounts, but this is what I do by heart, at least once a month, based on what I memorized from Moosewood in the 90s, and it always works. The Popover Cafe had enormous hollow popovers, iirc, but these are just as good.
Preheat oven to 425.
Ingredients: 1.25 C each of milk and flour
A pinch of salt
2,3 or 4 eggs
That's it for MK but really it's much better if you add a little sugar and vanilla extract, just a bit of sugar to bring out the flavor of the eggs and make it less bland.
Bake 20 minutes for 2 eggs and 5 minutes more for each additional egg. If you like it hollow, use 2 eggs, and for more custardy popovers use 4.
Pour into normal muffin pan (use paper muffin liners for easier cleanup)
So, you see she uses no butter.
Take out popovers and serve right away as they deflate.
This is so easy my kid made them in kindergarten and it just always works.
posted by flourpot at 8:14 PM on October 1, 2017 [3 favorites]

The steam release step at the end is critical to preventing sogginess. Make sure you're not getting too shy with the knife when it's time to let the steam out.
posted by Sunburnt at 8:18 PM on October 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

The recipe that I use, from Gourmet cookbook, has you poking a knife deep into each one after 45 minutes of baking (at 350) and then 10 minutes more baking post-poke. Try that, and I think it will reduce sogginess.
posted by sheldman at 5:12 AM on October 2, 2017

Seconding the Moosewood recipe: it's easy and quick. My tip would be to grease the muffin tins with melted butter and pop the pan into the freezer for 10 minutes before filling the tins, so the popovers don't stick to the pan.

Do not forget to let the steam out when you get them out of the oven!
posted by suelac at 9:12 AM on October 2, 2017

I went through a depression many years ago, and I love popovers. But they would often fail. Through my clouded brain of that era, the popover failures were really just a reflection of how I, myself, was a failure.

That's obviously poppycock, but man, do I ever get your frustration. If they're not popping at all, and look like hard, rubbery muffins, I have no idea.

But if it's just being too soggy inside, you're golden. As others have said, put a good slice in them with a super sharp knife to let the steam out, and then pop them back into the turned-off-but-still-hot oven for a good while--start with 5 minutes. They will crisp up a lot more, but stay hot and ready to nom.
posted by Stewriffic at 9:45 AM on October 2, 2017