Pop's Popovers (not Hot Flops) - Ascension

My dad’s dad, whom we called Pop, was a very enthusiastic, very experimental cook. He once answered the door sans eyebrows with hair still smoldering after an incident with the outdoor smoker. We would spend Sundays at my grandparents’ house and I have all sorts of memorable memories of helping him in the kitchen. I remember cutting dumpling dough into bubbling soup broth, and reaching up above the refrigerator to blindly feed the sourdough starter. (What was under that towel that needed to be fed twice a day? I didn’t know. So I just tried to be quick about it.) Once, I was tasked with digging the eyeballs out of a sheep’s head he was planning to roast. I’m still not sure if that’s necessary or if he was messing with me, but if you’ve ever worried about your eyeballs falling out . . . don’t. Those puppies are in there GOOD. He passed away when I was in college (may he rest in peace) and I’m happy to be able to share some of his recipes with my children. I have a signed typewriter page featuring his recipe for “Popovers (not hot flops)” dated Feb. 28, 1990.

Popovers are a favorite Sunday breakfast for our family, served with strawberry butter, and bacon on the side. But they are also a lovely accompaniment to meat and soups. I especially love them for the feast of the Ascension. The kids all standing at the oven watching them rise heavenward is liturgical cooking at its finest! These popovers REALLY rise—to about three inches above the pan—so if you’re making multiple batches, use the bottom and middle rack only, and be sure you have enough room between them.

Using a special popover pan will give you the best rise and the most impressive results, but these can also be cooked in a regular 12-muffin tin. Divide the batter between the 12 wells, and reduce the cooking time by 5 minutes at each temperature (so a total of 20 minutes rather
than 30).

Find the strawberry butter recipe here!