Popovers: Part 2

I said yesterday that I would post a variation to the popover recipe I tried out (Popovers). To this recipe, I added 1/4 tsp of coarse ground black pepper and 1/3 cup of shredded sharp Cheddar cheese. Let me just say "Yum!" The black pepper added just a hint of spice (next time I might add 1/2 tsp) and the cheese made the inside warm and moist.

Instead of hand whisking all the ingredients for this round, I did use my stand mixer which made for a much smoother batter. I'm not sure if that helped with the rising of the popovers, but as you can see, these popovers rose much better than the first batch. And using the stand mixer made my life easy.

They were delicious with the 15 bean soup I made for supper. I used them to sop up the juice in my bowl. And I definitely didn't stop at just one!

Another variation to the original recipe that sounds great is adding fresh ground herbs and 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Nicole Rees, author of Baking Unplugged, also suggests adding dry mustard and dill, or serving with fresh berries and and whipped cream in the warmer months or a fruit compote and creme fraiche in the cooler months. I've included a recipe for creme fraiche below.

Creme Fraiche (from the Joy of Baking.com)

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 Tbsp buttermilk

Over low heat, warm the cream to 105 degrees. Remove from the heat and stir in the buttermilk. Transfer to a large bowl and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Every 6 to 8 hours, stir and taste. Within 24 to 36 hours, it should be ready. You'll know it's ready when it is thick and has a slightly nutty, sour flavor. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours before serving. It can keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Enjoy!

Up next: Espresso Gingerbread Cutouts. Perfect for the holidays!