National Cherry Popover

By Diane Forrest,

As you are sitting there reading this, I’m sure you are thinking, didn't we just talk about this the other day?  I know, I did a double take too!  September 1st (Terry forgot to post it) is National Cherry Popover day; the other day was National Cherry Turnover Day.  So...what's the difference? 

The cherry turnover is like a pie, a light flaky pastry usually in the shape of a triangle.  A popover however is more like a muffin.  It gets its name from they way it was prepared.  The name "popover" comes from the fact that the batter swells or "pops" over the top of the muffin tin while baking. 

The first mention of a popover was in a letter dated in the 1850's, and the first recipe was printed in 1876.  It is the American version of England's Yorkshire Pudding.  The Yorkshire pudding is not a pudding like we are accustoming to, Jell-O pudding.  Instead it is a batter, like a pancake batter, that was placed under a cooking piece of beef or mutton.  The drippings would fall on the batter below, and was served with the meal as filler.  Diners would fill up on the pudding, and wouldn't need to eat much else.  This was an economical way to cut back on the grocery bill.  

Today, Popovers may be served either as a sweet, topped with fruit and whipped cream and served for breakfast or afternoon tea.  They may also be served with meat for lunch or dinner.  Below is a recipe for Cherry Popovers, so if you have never tried them, today would be a perfect day to have one!

Cherry Popovers

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon, granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup dried cherries

Preparation

• Heat oven to 375° F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 2-quart baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the eggs and 1/3 cup of the sugar. Whisk in the flour until no lumps remain. Whisk in the milk and melted butter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the cherries over the top. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar and bake until puffed and golden, about 45 minutes. Serve warm.