They Popped!

Here is the background story...

My 29th birthday... Mom's gift to me? Two beautiful, heavy, cast iron pop over pans... the product of a long and tiring internet search for perfection.

She had been trying to make popovers using a muffin pan, but they just wouldn't pop! So my kids and I gobbled them down with relish and called them pop-unders. A big hit... especially smothered with lots of melted butter and home made jam. But she wasn't satisfied with not being able to get them to pop, so she began searching... and finally found the perfect pans. And with the love that only a mother understands... she gave them to me.

And she waited patiently... and waited, and waited, and waited some more. And still, no popovers...

Until tonight! I finally made them... a dessert for my family to be filled with home made, wild plum jam from the plums that they all worked so hard to gather.

I followed Grandma's recipe (Included at the bottom of this post for those interested) and I heated the pans and then I poured in the mix and I put them into the oven... and I waited for a painstaking 35 minutes to see if they popped... and sure enough, when that second timer went off... I opened the oven and there they were! Golden brown little bubbles of hollow perfection!

And the first thing I did... was call my Mom...

So Mom... thanks for your gift and your patience, and for instilling a love of cooking. I'll make you pop overs for brunch tomorrow... and as we enjoy them filled with fresh strawberries with a hot cup of coffee, I'll tell you the big plans I have for using them. I love you! Here is your photo!

And for those interested... here is the recipe - handed down from my Grandma...

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp oil
2 eggs

Blend until just mixed. Pour into well greased preheated popover pans (leave them in the oven while you preheat it to 425*) filling to 2/3 full and place into oven at 425* for 20 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350* and cook for another 15 minutes... and here is the most important part.... DO NOT PEEK!!!! They will not pop!!!!!

Fill and enjoy!