Baking and Confections

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