When my friends and family come over during the holiday season, there is one dish popular that is the most requested. The dish is homemade Popovers with Strawberry Butter. I first had these amazing buttery pastries many years ago with Mr. JOC while we were still dating. Before we had our children, Mr. JOC and I enjoyed shopping at Union Square in San Francisco on weekends and stopping by The Rotunda in Neiman Marcus for lunch. While waiting for their famous Lobster Club Sandwich, The Rotunda served a complementary popover with strawberry butter instead of bread. As I slathered strawberry butter on airy and fluffy warm popover, I fell in love with it immediately and craved more.
What Are Popovers?
They are similar to English Yorkshire puddings. In the UK, Yorkshire puddings are usually served with roast meat and gravy and are a staple of the traditional British Sunday roast. Neiman Marcus shares this recipe in their cookbook as well as on the last page of the children’s menu in the restaurant. When I discovered I could easily make these at home, I was overjoyed.
Making Popovers at Home
Why do I personally like them so much? A couple of reasons; first they are super easy to make and secondly, I simply can’t resist tasty pastry! As I am writing this post I could already taste them again. The best way to enjoy them is straight out of the oven. As you rip apart the crispy outer shells, warm steam escapes from the slightly doughy and soft bread-like inside. Smear on the tasty homemade strawberry butter and see it melt on the warm popovers and blends together, then take a bite. Yummy!
Popover Pans vs. Muffin Pans
You can use muffin pans by using ever other tin instead of purchasing new popover pans. However, I’ve heard from JOC readers that the result is not as good as ones made in popover pans. This recipe makes 12 popovers and each pan can make 6. I have 2 of these specialized pans so I can make the second batch while the first batch is cooling down. Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on November 11, 2012. Images and contents were updated on October 19, 2014.
