Eggs, milk, flour, salt, and baking powder — simple ingredients, but they evoke warm holiday memories. I am, of course, talking about popovers, which remind me of cozy Christmas mornings. Mom and Dad always made Yorkshire Pudding for Christmas Eve dinner, creating a sense of tradition and comfort that I cherish.
My parents would use the drippings from the standing rib roast for the grease that fries the batter at the bottom of the dish, giving it that great-tasting crust that contrasted beautifully with the fluffy, almost spongy dome that rose over the pan. I loved sitting in front of the oven and watching the Yorkshire pudding rise. It didn’t get much better than that until I became the executive chef of the Zodiac Room at Neiman Marcus, then it was all about the popovers.
Popovers are a close cousin to Yorkshire pudding. The name popover comes from the batter rising and literally popping over the rims of the tins. The main difference between the two is the vessel used to cook the batter. . Instead of a casserole dish used for Yorkshire Pudding, popovers are baked in a popover pan, which resembles a muffin pan, with individual tins slightly taller and tapering toward the bottom to encourage the popovers to rise. Once cooked, the tall, puffy domes are always misshapen, and no two ever look alike. Like Yorkshire pudding, popovers have hollow centers. You can use them as you would a dinner roll. They are great for soaking up gravy, but my favorite way to eat them, straight out of the Neiman Marcus playbook, is with fresh strawberry butter. Pair that with a good cup of coffee or, better yet, a sparkling rosé, and you’re in business.
My favorite part of each day at Nieman’s was arriving in the morning to dozens of these beauties coming out of our ovens, a sight to behold. The next step was to find some of our homemade strawberry butter to seal the deal.
This Christmas, most of my children won’t be with me on Christmas Eve, so I plan to replace Yorkshire pudding with freshly baked popovers on Christmas morning, using bacon grease for a savory touch and creating new holiday memories. 
If a wow factor is what you are looking for, and why wouldn’t you be, it’s Christmas, popovers will add a degree of elegance few other things can.
Suppose you don’t have the time to make your own popovers. Head over to the Neiman Marcus Cafe and receive some complimentary ones with your meal. A visit to the cafe is an experience you should treat yourself to.
Happy holidays to you and yours. I look forward to writing for you in the new year.
“NEIMAN MARCUS POPOVERS WITH STRAWBERRY BUTTER”
INGREDIENTS
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups of milk
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 lb. unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups strawberry preserves
INSTRUCTIONS
- Strawberry Butter: Beat the softened butter in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add strawberry preserves and beat until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Microwave the milk on high for 2 minutes, or until warm to the touch.
- Beat the eggs at medium speed for about 3 minutes, until foamy and pale in color. Slowly stir in the milk at low speed. Beat again for 2 minutes on medium speed. Let the mixture rest for 1 hour at room temperature.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix until combined.
- Spray the popover pan generously with nonstick spray or grease it with butter. Fill the cups almost to the top with batter. Place the pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 450 degrees.
- Then reduce the oven to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. Popovers should be a deep golden brown on the outside and airy on the inside. Serve hot with strawberry butter and Rosé Champagne!
Note: I replace the baking spray or butter with bacon grease. I put a small amount, like a teaspoon, in the bottom of each tin. I heat the pan in the oven until the bacon grease is smoking hot. At this point, I will add the batter and return the pan to the oven. Popover pans are available on Amazon.
