This morning I was reading my Friends of Gladys Taber June newsletter when I came upon Gladys' popover recipe. It is from her 1972 My Own Cook Book. When I read this years ago, I copied out several recipes, the popovers among them, but I've never made them. Popovers are a wonderfully mysterious concoction. A few years ago I posted a recipe from Tara of the Books and Cooks blog. She doesn't write postings anymore but you may still read older ones. Hers worked the best of all we've ever tried. Gladys' are the same recipe, minus the melted butter, but the preparation is very easy and takes a very short time, so I thought why not try them and see how they measure up. Well, they were fantastic. I so love how Gladys' voice comes through in this recipe.
Gladys Taber's Still Cove Popovers
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
2 medium-sized eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Blend all ingredients well with a whisk or fork, but never mind if there are a few lumps! Fill greased custard cups 3/4 full and set them on a cookie sheet. This amount is enough for 6 cups. Turn oven on at 450º and bake 30 minutes.
Do not preheat the oven in this instance. Do not open the oven door, no matter how nervous you get. After 30 minutes, you may take a look, and prick the popovers lightly with a two-tined fork. Leave in the oven for 5 more minutes.
My notes: I whisked the eggs, added the milk, whisked some more. Sifted in the flour mixed with salt, and stirred well with a fork.
I used cooking spray to grease the cups.
We didn't have a 'two-tined fork' so were going to use the point of a sharp knife, but when the oven was opened, the popovers looked beautiful so out they came right then. Tom ate three, I ate two, and Sadie ate one. Excellent, delicious, quick, easy, perfect!
If you are interested in joining the Friends of Gladys Taber and getting a great newsletter four times a year filled with everything Gladys, you may email:
Linda Dunn
lrdunnATinfionline.net
Put FOGT in the subject line.
I've offered this before on the blog, but there are always new readers who may not have read it, and would like to join.
Incidentally, Still Cove is the name of Gladys' house on Cape Cod.
It's almost 100 degrees outside, and I don't like to cook all that much... but I have an odd urge to try making Gladys's PopOvers.... :)))))
ReplyDeleteIt's around 90 here, and it was still worth it to make the popovers!
DeleteSo did I get this right that these popovers are savoury, not sweet? Do you eat them just like that, on their own, or with something else?
ReplyDeleteYou eat them like muffins - with butter and jam. YUM!
DeleteYorkshire Puddings! That's what we call them in England. My mother's recipe, from an old Good Housekeeping Book, 8oz flour, half a teaspoon salt, 2 eggs, 1 pint milk, whisked together, dropped into patty tins that have been in oven to warm, with hot fat in them, drop mixture in when fat is sizzling, bake at 425 degrees F (or thereabouts)and cook for 25 minutes or so.
DeleteThey are nice with jam and cream, or stewed fruit, but over here they are traditionally savoury, served as an accompaniment with roast meat, but I eat them with nut roasts, and vegetable bakes, and they are delicious with mushrooms in a sauce or gravy... very yummy!
If you click on the 'posted a recipe' link above, you'll see quite a few people said that in reply to the other popover recipe! I do so love cultural eating differences - here popovers are a light muffin-like breakfast, and hardly ever do I hear the word 'savoury.'
DeleteSame with 'pie.' The Pie in the Sky tv series is all about meat pies, whereas over here a pie is pretty much always a fruit, chocolate, or coconut dish, except for 'chicken pot pie.'
Amazing.
Just like Christine, I thought of Yorkshire Pudding when I read your post - that's why I asked whether you eat them just on their own or with something else.
DeleteHaven't made them in a while but suspect it will be more towards autumn before I make them again, and then have them with lots of gravy!
Lucky woman that I am, my husband has made Sunday breakfast for us every week for the past 37 years. Prompted by your post of this popover recipe, I may join him in the kitchen to make these instead of waiting for the gentle knock on the bedroom door as he tells me, "I'm starting the eggs."
ReplyDeleteThank you, too, for reminding me about the Friends of Gladys Taber. I was a member years ago, and now with the luxury of time in retirement to enjoy the newsletter, I've sent off an e-mail to rejoin.
WOW!
DeleteIt's wonderful you want to rejoin. I do love those newsletters. I learn more about her with each one.
If I weren't on a low carb diet, I'd try these. Looks so easy to make!
ReplyDeleteI'd give up the diet. :<)))
Deletehaha - love your last comment :) Life is too short to miss out on popovers!
ReplyDeleteI have Gladys Taber's cookbook - I enjoy reading her recipes although I haven't tried any yet. This may be my first! Thanks Nan!
Good idea! They are great!
DeleteOh my . . . I've made Yorkshire pudding, to mixed reviews one Christmas. Since I trust you and Gladys, I just may try these some day soon. Thanks, Nan.
ReplyDeleteI just can't imagine them as a supper food. :<) Butter and jam! I'd make them today if I were you. Want me to drop over? :<)
DeleteDoor is always open for you, Nan. C'mon in.
DeleteI was in your territory today, Nan, and know exactly how hot it must've been at your hill farm. And here I find you blogging popovers!
ReplyDeleteAll I can think about is ice cream...no, even that's too heavy a food for a scorching day. A popsicle would be even better!
It really isn't too bad. Always a breeze coming in the windows. All those windows open, and a fan in every room. :<) And you know what? I made them again this morning, served with a bowl of fresh strawberries. They are so easy to make that I plan to make them often! Every day???
DeleteI just love popovers and make them often. My recipe is similar to yours, but I am copying yours and going to give it a try. The first time I made them for my daughter, she sat in from of the oven door window watching to see them pop and she was so excited to see them do it. She ran around the house telling everyone "they're popping, they're popping." It always makes me laugh when I think about it.
ReplyDeleteIt just could not be any easier. As I wrote to Margaret, I made them again this morning. So quick. And SO good. I love the story of your girl. Thanks for telling me.
DeleteHello Nan, having just enjoyed reading your recipe for Pop-overs I might give these a whirl, though as I have to steer clear of wheat and dairy I'd have to substitute rice flour and rice milk...still I think I'll give it a whirl!! I've never seen Fireflies, I think we're too far north for them. They've always sounded magical when I've read about them, I imagine that they look like little bops of light from fairy lanterns!
ReplyDeleteJane
I typed in the same thing as I told Librarian, substituting England. They say there are glow-worms but not fireflies. They are related. I've often chuckled at the Churchill quote, 'we are all worms but I believe I am a glow-worm'
DeleteYour beautiful description reminds me of that John Singer Sargent painting: Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose
http://www.jssgallery.org/paintings/Carnation_Lily_Lily_Rose.htm
I so love it.
Ah....I've just read your other comments...so in England they are 'Yorkshire puddings'! I should of course recognised the recipe, however first thing in the morning which is when I write this my M.E. affected brain is more slow than usual. I think I will give them a try though and maybe a little maple syrup is about somewhere...? :)))))
ReplyDeleteJane
Wish I could send you some local maple syrup!
DeleteNot left a comment for a while, Nan, but your temperatures make me squirm! Mind you, we could do with some sunshire. Here in England we're having the wettest June on record, with flooding in parts of the north of England. A typical English summer!
ReplyDeleteNow, Gladys Taber. You've spoken of her often, but I still don't know who she was (or is.) Obviously, a cookery writer, but perhaps more than 'just' a cookery writer. I shall have to 'look her up' as they say, on the 'net.
Yes, your popovers are our Yorkshires. My mother used to make a large Yorkshire in a fairly deep rectangular tin, but today they are more often baked in deep patty tins, so diners have one or two each, rather than a slice of what looks crisp-on-the-outside-soft-in-the-middle pudding. If you recall the film of 84 Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff (as played by Anne Bancroft) bakes a Yorkshire pudding and brings it triumphantly to the table for her guests. That is what a traditional Yorkshire looks like here in England.
And yes, pie in England can be sweet or savoury.
Regarding maple syrup, not keen, have tried it but find the flavour overpowering. If I'm going to use syrup, it must be Tale & Lyle's golden syrup which I have on porridge. On pancakes we like to have lemon and sugar. And our pancakes are not those small ones which we call drop scones, but large ones the size of a frying pan.
Margaret P
And I haven't gotten a chance to write an email back to you!
DeleteI think the wettest June on record must have been back in 1971 when we were there for a month. :<) We went to a lot of movies, in those theatres where they had an intermission and women would carry around ice cream to buy. Those theatres where you could smoke! Think of it.
Nan -
ReplyDeleteBack when my daughter was first enrolled at UMass in Amherst, we visited Judie's, one of the few restaurants in town. This was the first time I'd ever had popovers. They were incredible! And as I found out later, legendary! They were offered at our dinner (complimentary?) and I know we asked for seconds.
I'm going to try Glady's recipe - seems a bit less fussy than Tara's. Seems like I now have a quick breakfast solution!
I must come here more often!
- Jeff
Or lunch, or supper. They are just excellent. Maybe I'll make some more today. :<) So good to see your name.
DeleteThis sounds like the perfect recipe to try tomorrow morning. I think I'll try mine with a little powdered sugar and raspberry jam. Mmmmmm.
ReplyDeleteOh, man are they good!
Delete