At around 100 calories each, popovers are a great alternative to heavy biscuits in spring meals.
Photo credit: Sunset Magazine
Ditch heavy biscuits in favor of delightfully fluffy puffs this spring; you’ll not only save calories, but also impress holiday guests with this simple – yet elegant – recipe.
Not yet a popover pro? Here are a few tips for foolproof poufs, thanks to Sunset magazine:
- Beat the batter just until smooth; over-beating can break up the egg’s protein structure
- To allow for expansion, pour batter into every other cup if your muffin tins have less than one inch between cups
- Fill cups 3/4 to almost full, so batter can pop up over the edges
- Puncture popovers once they have puffed and the shell has set to release the steam before returning them to the oven to firm up
- Oven temperature is critical – hot enough to allow puffs to expand quickly, but not so hot that they set before ballooning
Popovers (Serves 6)
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fat-free milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 egg whites
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 425 F
- Generously coat six large metal or glass muffin molds with cooking spray before heating them in the oven for two minutes
- In a large bowl, add the milk, flour, salt and egg whites; using an electric mixer, beat until smooth
- Fill the heated muffin molds 2/3 full, and bake in the top part of the oven until golden brown and puffy, about 30 minutes
- Serve immediately
Note: Popovers pair well with both savory and sweet fillings: For a breakfast treat, split them open and spoon in scrambled eggs; top with cheese and salsa. And for a decadent dessert, slit popover tops open and fill with a scoop of low-fat ice cream; top with fresh fruit.
Damage:
Serving size: 1 popover
- Calories 101
- Cholesterol 1 mg
- Protein 6 g
- Sodium 152 mg
- Carbohydrate 18 g
- Fiber 0.5 g
- Total fat trace
- Potassium 98 mg
- Saturated fat trace
- Calcium 42 mg
- Monounsaturated fat trace
For more nutritious takes on traditional recipes, go to the Mayo Clinic’s website here.
