Herbed Brown Butter Popovers
Herbed Brown Butter Popovers are a Lemony Thyme first and a personal culinary bucket list item!
These beauties are my first attempt at homemade popovers, simple to make and they were outstanding.
Don’t fear the popovers!
I gave careful consideration to the flavor profile I would incorporate into this my first popover attempt.
Fresh herbs for certain, which pair so nicely with the intensely sensual flavors of browned butter – kind of a no-brainer. It is after all well noted on the pages of Lemony Thyme that I’m rather infatuated with herbed brown butter.
Sensual /’sen(t)SH(OO)el/ adjective
“relating to or consisting in the gratification of the senses or the indulgence of appetite.” Which is precisely how I felt about these popovers!
A Trip Down Memory Lane
These Herbed Brown Butter Popovers brought back wonderful memories of working in the kitchen and dining room of Woodbound Inn, circa 1980’s. Woodbound was and still is a charming New England inn where generations would vacation year after year. As familiar as the guests were, so was the weekly menu lineup.
Since my days as a Woodbounder, I had forgotten some of the daily menus, so I reached out to my fellow alumni on social media to help fill in the gap. With over 60 responses we fondly recalled our favorites, which included Saturday night Prime Rib and Dot’s Yorkshire pudding.
Dot Flagg was the pastry chef who turned out pans of Yorkshire pudding every Saturday night to serve with their famous Prime Rib. As teenagers we were in awe of her and also slightly quite frightened by her stern disposition. However, as the years went on we learned that her crispy exterior was a bit of a front. And as it turns out, Dot had a wonderful sense of humor and was a softy inside, kind of like a popover :) or her incredible Maple Pecan Sticky Buns.
Popovers vs. Yorkshire Pudding
This is a good time to discuss the difference between Popovers and Yorkshire pudding.
Both are made from a thin egg batter that rises when cooked creating a crispy exterior and ‘hollow’ center that’s the perfect well for jam or fruit or gravy and au jus.
Traditionally Yorkshire pudding originated in Britain in the mid-1700s. It’s batter is poured into a pan that has been greased with the drippings from a roast, like Prime Rib.
Popovers are the American version of the beloved British pudding and were first referenced in the mid-1800s. Popover pans on the other hand are greased with melted butter or oil.
Other than that they’re basically the same delicious airy roll with endless flavor pairings, such as fresh herbs and browned butter.
Popovers
Now on to these particular Herbed Brown Butter Popovers. I followed a very basic recipe and used Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. The result was a nicely puffed popover, with a beautifully crispy exterior, and an airy slightly eggy interior. The browned butter added a slight complexity to the flavor and the herbs peeked through as well.
Do not fear the Popovers. They are simple to make. Delicious to eat. A beautiful companion to any meal. Enjoy!
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All my best,
xo Libby
Herbed Brown Butter Popovers {Gluten Free}
Ingredients
- 1 cup 1 for 1 Gluten Free Baking Flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cups milk slightly warmed
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (such as parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme)
- 1/4 teaspoon xanthum gum omit if GF Flour contains xanthum gum
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Grease a 6-cup popover pan or 12-cup standard muffin tin.
- In a small skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add chopped fresh herbs and saute until butter begins to brown slightly. Remove from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.
- For best results (smooth batter), make popover batter In a blender. Blend the eggs, melted butter, and milk until well combined. Add the flour and salt to the blender, then blend on medium-high until batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, filling each cup 2/3 full.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes, until the popovers are a deep brown.
- Remove from the oven. Prick the side of each popover with a sharp knife to vent the steam; allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
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