A few weeks ago I took the train out to Philadelphia to see the Phillies face off against the San Francisco Giants. But before I could cheer on my favorite RHP, I knew I had to make the most of my 24-hour visit and grab a table at one of Philly’s culinary landmarks: Barclay Prime.
Visions of stadium soft pretzels were quickly eclipsed by the golden brown glory set down on the bread plate in front of me. Eggy, cheesy, and piping hot, Barclay Prime’s gruyere and chive popovers were softball-sized and begging for a slathering of butter. I tore off a crunchy corner and a wisp of steam escaped, exposing an airy interior and an aroma of melted gruyere.
I’ve been on a mission to recreate the popovers in my own kitchen, and sure enough, this past weekend my entire apartment swelled with the scent of melted butter, chopped fresh chives and freshly grated gruyere. If savory isn’t your thing, swing over to my Popovers with Whipped Strawberry Butter for a fruit-filled take on the ultimate dinner roll substitute.
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Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 6 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups (lightly packed) shredded Gruyere cheese, separated
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh chives
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk just until bubbles form around the edges.
- Sift the flour and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy, and then slowly whisk the warm milk into the eggs, whisking constantly so eggs don't cook. Whisk in the flour mixture just until combined, then whisk in 1 cup of the cheese and the chives.
- Place the popover pan in the oven for 2 minutes to heat. Remove it and add a pat of butter to each cup. Once the butter has melted, portion the batter into the cups, filling each about ¾ full. Top with a portion of the remaining cheese.
- Bake the popovers for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF, and continue baking about 10 more minutes. (See Kelly's Notes.)
- Remove the popovers from the oven and serve warm.
Kelly's Notes:
- When measuring flour, never scoop the cup into the flour, as it condenses the flour and causes you to use more than the recipe intends. Instead, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it with a knife.
- The key to perfectly puffed popovers is to keep the oven closed during the entire baking process. As tempting as it is to peek, keep that door shut!
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
Nutrition
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I also had a super dense popover from this recipe. Wondering if you’re using a convection oven?
I did about three test batches.
I held adding the cheese to the top and increased the cook time about 15 mins. The density improves significantly when the cook time increased. Better but not barclay prime
Hi Kathryn! It may be the cheese causing the density. We’ll retest this recipe ASAP!
We love popovers! Sweet or savory and I usually make enough to share.
This recipe from this day forward is my number one choice! Thank you for sharing!
So glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Jo Ann!
Can you make these ahead a reheat?
They really are best served immediately because popovers deflate over time!
This recipe sounds amazing and easy –
Would they be able to rise enough if I used a muffin pan instead ?
Maybe filling it only halfway ?
What do you think, Kelly ?
Hi Nancy! I have a Muffin Pan Popovers recipe that is designed specifically for that! You can find it by using the Search Bar on the site :)
Mine tasted good but were very dense.
Do you recommend sifting the flour? Will it affect the recipe if I cut it in half?
No need to sift! You can if you’d like, but they’ll work just fine without the added step.
Where are the chives in the recipe?
They’re added in Step 4!
Not a comment but a question. Can I make the recipe in the morning and cook them in the afternoon?
Hi Lisa! You could definitely try that. Refrigerating it may cause the butter to re-solidify so you’ll want to bring the batter back to room temp before continuing with baking the popovers. Let me know if you try it!
Can you freeze these?
I wouldn’t recommend freezing them! They really are best fresh, as they’ll deflate considerably if chilled/frozen.
Herlich hab ich schon offt gemacht ich nehme Bärlauch butter für die förmchen auch lecker
Wo bekommt man Bärlauch Butter ? Oder auch Bärlauch als Pflanze für den Garten ? Kathy
I just made this using skim milk instead of whole and they turned out beautifully.
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Andrea!
Delicia! Delicia! ❣️
Your Chive and Gruyere Pop-Overs;
What size pan?
Roger
Hi Roger! I use a classic popover pan but you can also use a muffin pan with my Muffin Pan Popovers recipe, which you can search for here on the site.
Do you use the large popover pans or the mini for the recipe?
Hi Rhonda! I used a classic 12-cup popover pan for this recipe.
Airy and flavorful. I greased the pan to ensure they wouldn’t stick. Looking forward to serving these at my holiday dinner.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Lesley!
Hi,
The Reel Club Restaurant (Lettuce Entertain ) Grp – serve a cheesy popover but it is about 1 1/2 inches by about 2 inches in size. Can these be made smaller? Any idea on how to adjust cooking time?
There’s are also have a more cheddar-like flavor could that be substituted for the Guyere? Same proportion?
Next time you’re in Philly, hit up Sbraga for their truffle gruyere popovers. I am going to try tweaking your recipe to recreate them . . . Thanks!
just finished baking these. thank goodness they were a “test” run for a later dinner party. I have made many popovers in my lifetime. These,while smelled wonderful baking and did have a good taste were not the best. They were very dense, not airy at all. Very disappointing recipe! They did not pop over the pan as expected.
Hi Shirley, I’m sorry you had issues with this recipe. I’ve made them many times without any problems so I’m not sure what could’ve gone wrong.
These sound wonderful and I hope to try them soon. My family has made them (plain popovers) for at least 60 years. My brother recently discovered that they rise better if you let them sit for 30 minutes before baking, preferably overnight. That might make a difference.
Thanks for the tip, Mara!
mine stuck in the pans! why .i was so disappointed. was a bit of butter in each cup enough?
Hi LoriMae, I’m sorry yours stuck! I’ve never had issues with the batter sticking, as the butter will grease the sides. Is your pan nonstick?
I followed the recipe to a T and I thought they tasted very floury…I have never had a popover, but I will never make them again. Very disappointed thought they were going to be amazing.