Popovers

This is my favorite dinner roll to make. It is light and soft and flavorful and practically melts in your mouth. I love it with jam and butter too. They go great with any meal.

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp sugar (optional)
1 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 cup milk
2 eggs
Option: For cheese popovers, omit sugar, and stir 1/2 cup finely shredded extra sharp chedder or any cheese of your choice into the batter.
Second option: For a sweet popover, you can add to the batter (include the sugar) 3/4 tsp cardamom and 1 tsp almond extract. Once they are cooked, sprinkle a little powdered sugar on the top.
Tip: This batter can be refrigerated overnight to save time.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease containers; metal muffin pans, cast-iron popover pans, or ramekins/custard cups.
   
2. In a bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add butter, milk, and eggs. With an electric mixer, beat until very smooth (about 2 1/2 minutes), scraping bowl frequently with a rubber spatula.
3. Pour into the greased containers, filling each about half full.
   
4. For a richly browned shell with fairly moist interior, bake on center rack in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes or until well browned and firm to touch. For a lighter colored popover, drier inside, bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 50-55 minutes.
   
5. Remove from pans and serve hot.
   

Yield: 6-12 popovers
Recipe from Sunset Magazine's "Easy Basics for Good Cooking"