Ginger pear butter to spoon over these popovers makes them extra special - and the perfect winter brunch menu item.
Popovers are easier to make than you might think. All you really need is a popover pan, and then your basic baking ingredients - flour, butter, sugar, milk, and of course eggs.
There is no leavening agent in popovers, except for the eggs. The eggs do double-duty as a binder and leavener.
They’re a great alternative to dinner rolls or bread for the holidays. If you have a popover pan, that’s great. Use that. If not, a muffin tin will do, but your popovers won't rise as tall.
Popovers are just plain fun to make and can be served on their own or accompanied by butter, jam or jelly. Or, in this case, with spicy ginger pear butter spooned over the top.
(scroll down for the printable recipe card)
Popovers With Ginger Pear Butter and Cardamom Sugar
Makes 12.
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and set the rack in the bottom third of the oven.
Whisk the eggs and milk in a medium bowl, then whisk in the flour and salt. The batter will be thin like pancake batter.
Pour the batter into a 2-cup measuring cup and let it sit for at least 30 minutes (or overnight in the fridge).
Meanwhile, cut the butter into 12 cubes and put one into the bottom of each of the cups, then set the muffin tin or popover pan in the oven to preheat for a few minutes while you wait for the batter to finish resting.
Once the batter has rested, remove the tin from the oven, brush the sides of each cup with the melted butter and fill each cup just about halfway with batter.
Bake for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes.
Don’t open the oven until they have baked for the full 30 minutes or they'll fall.
Then check the popovers and bake for another few minutes until they’re puffed and golden brown.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Cardamom Sugar. Serve with the Ginger Pear Butter on the side.
For the Ginger Pear Butter
4 tablespoons salted butter, divided
2 firm pears, any variety, finely diced into ¼” cubes
3 tablespoons finely diced candied ginger
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Pinch Kosher salt
Melt two tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat.
Add the pears, ginger and 1/2 cup of water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pears have softened (but aren’t mushy) and cooked down a bit and the liquid has all evaporated, about 15 minutes.
Off heat, stir in the vanilla and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter until melted. Season with a pinch of salt.
For the Cardamom Sugar
3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Pinch salt
Whisk the sugar, cardamom, and salt in a small bowl or shallow dish. Set aside.
