Buttermilk Truffle Popovers

Popovers, and My Cluttered Countertop

Like a lot of the food I love, popovers are forever tied to my grandma in my mind. When I was a kid, there was nothing better than getting to spend the night at her house either with my cousins or (if I was really lucky) all by myself. We would stay up late, her telling silly stories including one about a clumsy witch who repeatedly fell off her broom and busted her butt, all of us giggling until we fell asleep. The mornings were the best though. We'd get up early, and she would make a breakfast of foods we never got at home while we sipped Grandad's pineapple-orange-banana juice, one I never liked outside of their house. She would make three minute eggs with nice runny yolks, bacon in the trusty cast-iron skillet, and hot popovers slathered with butter and apple butter she'd "put up" the fall before. Surely, this was the food of gods.

My interest in making popovers was kindled a few months ago, and I tried my hand at a few recipes from the internet. Most of them consist of equal parts milk and flour with a few eggs mixed in to create the steamy pop-effect. When they come out just right, I tell you, they're gorgeous: brown and crispy on the outside, creamy and soft and steamy inside. A few nights ago while searching for a great recipe for pumpkin bread, I came across this recipe on Smitten Kitchen for corn, buttermilk, and chive popovers and was possessed to make a version of them. They look like something that would take considerable work, but let me tell you, they're easy. I love buttermilk and had some leftover, though I had neither corn nor chives. However, I did have some leftover truffle butter from my favorite specialty food store that I thought might be a tasty addition. The seasoning possibilities are many (I resisted the urge to throw in garlic and parmesan for simplicity's sake), just make sure to keep the pieces small to allow for proper popping. Another note: make sure your popover pan or muffin tin is HOT when you pour in the batter. Getting that sear is important.

Buttermilk Truffle Popovers

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup of buttermilk (or whole milk)

3 large eggs

1 tablespoon of melted truffle butter

1 teaspoon of table salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup of all purpose flour

Approx. 1 tablespoon of bacon fat (or your favorite butter or oil), divided into six half-teaspoons

In a medium bowl (preferably one good for pouring batter from), beat buttermilk, eggs, melted truffle butter, salt, and pepper together. Slowly add in the flour until just mixed. Some lumps are okay. Set batter aside.

While the batter is resting, heat your oven to 375 degrees. Once it's reached temperature, add the divided bacon fat to each popover cup. Place the tin in the oven until it's well heated, about three minutes for a popover pan. Remove, and fill each cup about three quarters of the way full. Cook the popovers in the oven for 30-35 minutes, resisting the urge to open the oven. I cooked mine for exactly 30 minutes, but I think I would've liked a couple minutes more. Remove from the oven and serve immediately, but be careful, the steam inside will be very hot!