It's been a tradition in my family to make popovers for afternoon tea on New Year's day for the last five years or so. Individual buttery pastry filled with air and smothered in butter and jam. Cup of tea. Delicious.
I remember the first time I had popovers. I was about twelve or thirteen. We visited a friend of my dad's in New York City. He took us to a fancy restaurant for lunch and instead of bread they served popovers the size of my hand.
If you've never had a popover before they're sort of like Yorkshire pudding except made with butter rather than meat drippings. The batter is egg based so it's not like a croissant. I make mine in a regular muffin tin and figure about two per person.
The recipe I use is from the San Francisco Chronicle. You can find it here. I usually make the batter an hour ahead. Popovers are best when straight out of the oven, so factor that into your timing.
Serve with jam of your choice - my current favorite is this Marionberry jam from Fontana Farms - butter, and tea, of course. If I'm really feeling fancy I make strawberry butter which involves dicing up strawberries and creaming with butter, then chilling it in the fridge. You can add powdered sugar if you want, but I don't.
If you prefer something savory you can pair it with cheese instead.
What are your New Year's day traditions?
Happy New Year!
Photo by Sophia Dunkin-Hubby
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