Passover Popovers

Hands-on time: 15 mins. to 20 mins.
Baking time: 35 mins. to 50 mins.
Total time: 1 hrs 50 mins. to 2 hrs 10 mins.

Yield: 15 to 30, depending on size

3 cups water
1 cup vegetable oil
1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup cake meal
2 cups matzo meal
12 large eggs

1) Put the water, oil, salt, and sugar in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.

2) Remove the mixture from the heat. Stir in the cake meal, then the matzoh meal; the dough will be very stiff. Transfer it to a mixing bowl, and set it aside to cool to lukewarm, about 1 hour.

3) Preheat the oven to 400°F. Use shortening or non-stick vegetable oil spray to grease a standard muffin tin; a standard 6-cup popover pan; or a 12-cup mini-popover pan.

4) Crack the eggs into a large measuring cup. With your mixer running, gradually pour the unbeaten eggs into the lukewarm batter. Beat till smooth; scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat till smooth again.

5) Scoop the stiff batter into the prepared pan, filling the cups about 3/4 full. You'll need to bake in batches; this recipe will make 28 muffin-size popovers; 15 standard popovers; or 30 mini-popovers.

6) Place the pan in the center of the oven, and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 325°F, and bake for an additional 35 minutes (for the muffin-pan popovers); 40 minutes (for the standard popovers); or 25 minutes (for the mini-popovers). Popovers should be a medium-golden brown. To check if they're done, pull one out of the pan and break it open; the interior should be mildly moist, but not soggy.

7) Remove the popovers from the oven, and tilt them in the pan to cool.

Recipe and photograph provided courtesy of King Arthur Flour.