Popovers

Thanks to Alton Brown yesterday I found out about these things called popovers. I can't believe I'd never heard of them before. (They are also known as Yorkshire puddings.) Popovers are kind of like a roll, but much more custard-y/egg-y. They have a crusty, crunchy outside and a warm, soft inside. Instead of yeast, the leavening is done by the hot air trapped inside the popovers.

It's really an easy recipe with few ingredients:

2 large eggs (room temp)
1 cup milk (room temp)
1 tbsp melted butter (cooled)
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

Alton mixed it all together in a blender, cooked it, and it came out amazingly huge and fluffy.

(If you want his exact recipe, it's here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/good-eats/basic-popover-recipe/index.html)

I wanted to try a bit healthier version, so I found a recipe that used whole wheat flour.

http://bakingbites.com/2009/01/whole-wheat-popovers/

This one used white whole wheat flour with just a bit of all-purpose added in. Otherwise, the recipe was pretty much the same. Like Alton, I mixed up everything in a blender, although, unlike Alton, I didn't have a popover tin.

The recipe turned out really well, although, they didn't pop up as much as they probably would if I used only all-purpose flour and if I used a popover pan. Either way, they're only 2 points if you divide the batter between ten cupcake tins and 3 points if you use only 6.

I've been on Weight Watchers for most of my adult life (on and off depending on my current commitment level) and I love the program. This past winter, however, they switched things up from the Points Program to the Points Plus Program. Rather than focusing on calories in a food, the formula focuses on fat/carbs/protein/fiber. It makes sense on a lot of levels, but I'm still struggling to stay on track.

There's a lot I like about the new program, but the one thing that's hardest for me is that I don't usually eat a lot of meat. Since carb-heavy foods have higher Points Plus values than protein-heavy ones, what this means is that I've been avoiding some of my favorite foods (read BREAD). This recipe is a perfect substitute for rolls or other bready foods.


UPDATE:
So, since I first posted this morning I tried this recipe again, this time using an actual popover pan, using half all-purpose flour and half white whole wheat flour, and switching one of the eggs for two egg whites. They popped a lot more, but since I changed so many variables at once I have no idea why. With the pan, the recipe makes six popovers instead of ten, so they would be three points instead of two. (Since that's the same amount as an English muffin, though, I still think it's worth it.)