Rainy Day Popovers

I am loving the weather today.  All morning it has been cool with strong winds and the smell of rain to come.  This afternoon the skies opened up and buckets of rain have been pouring down, accompanied by clashes of thunder and flashes of lightening.  I have been standing at my sliding glass door with it wide open, as I always do when it rains, breathing in the fresh rainy air and watching the waves of rain beat over the ground.  I love it. 

I especially love warm baked breads on rainy days like today.  Popovers are light, hollow rolls that can be sweetened with jams or whipped cream, or made savory with meats and cheese.  I enjoy mine plain, with an occasional slathering of raspberry jam, should the mood strike.  They are often made in a popover tin, but as I do not have one a regular muffin tin works just the same.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 tbs butter, softened
1 1/2 tbs butter, chilled

Preheat oven to 425.  Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven for 1-2 minutes.  Cut the chilled butter into 12 equal sizes and place in each muffin cup.  The chilled butter helps dividing it easily between the cups, but it is fine to use melted or softened butter.  Warm the pan in the oven until butter bubbles.

Beat together flour, milk, salt, eggs, and softened butter.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.  Reduce heat to 325 and bake for another 15 minutes. 

They will "pop" up and be light and airy.  Poke the bottoms with a sharp knife to let out the steam.

 Make it sweet with jam...

..or savory with cheese!

Gobble these up fast!  They are best right out of the oven, but you can reheat them in the oven at 350 for 5 minutes.  Experiment with flavors in your batter; sugar, herbs, cheese, you name it!