Inspiration / Recipes / Easy Custardy Popovers From the Moosewood Cookbook

Easy Custardy Popovers From the Moosewood Cookbook

By Mad Fish Published On
Custardy popovers cooling in a tin on a kitchen counter with mixing bowl, milk bottle, eggs, and open cookbook

There’s something remarkably satisfying about taking a risk on a recipe and have it turn out to be delightfully delicious. A good recipe makes cooking simple, fun and attainable, and these days there are thousands of recipes for every diet and preference. But that wasn’t always the case. It’s only been within the last few decades that the amount of plant-based options has expanded. From falafel wraps to meatless burgers, vegetarian menu items can now be found in every city corner, and it’s largely due to the Moosewood Cookbook, opens in a new tab.

Top-down view of an open Moosewood Cookbook showing a large eggplant illustration on the left and handwritten recipe text titled “Stuffed Eggplant” on the right on a white background

In the early 70’s the term “plant-based” had not yet been coined, and the number of vegetarian recipes, let alone menu items, were few and far between. This is why a group of seven friends, disappointed in the lack of options, decided to start a vegetarian restaurant called Moosewood, opens in a new tab in Ithaca, NY. Run collectively, Moosewood quickly became an arena for testing out family recipes, personal favorites, and impromptu creations. It was from diagrams scribbled on paper and notes thrown into a loose-leaf binder, that Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook was born – paving the way for ingredients like tahini, lentils, and tempeh to become grocery store staples.


Dubbed as one of the most influential cookbooks of all time, this recipe book presents a vegetarian alternative for every meat-based favorite. Whether you’re vegetarian or simply find yourself trying to include more veggies in your meals, the Moosewood Cookbook is filled with plant-based tips and heritage recipes that are sure to be crowd-pleasers. To celebrate Moosewood Cookbook's 40th-anniversary edition, we thought we'd share a perfect popover recipe from its tried and true pages.

Popovers cooling in a tin on a kitchen counter with an open cookbook, eggs, milk bottle, and wooden utensils

Custardy Popovers

"Crisp and puffy, full of hot air and a layer of custard on the inside, Popovers are very easy to throw together on a moment’s notice, and they can lend a festive spirit to even a simple bowl of soup. The custard quotient depends on how many eggs you use. This recipe is very flexible, and will work with 2, 3, or 4 eggs."

Ingredients:

Yields 1 dozen

  • 2 to 3 tbs. melted butter for the pan

  • 2, 3, or 4 large eggs

  • 1 1/4 cups milk (low fat OK)

  • 1 1/4 cups flour

  • 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush the insides of 12 muffin cups with melted butter.

  1. Beat together the eggs and milk in a medium-sized bowl. Add the flour and salt and beat with a whisk until reasonably well blended. It's fine if the batter has a few lumps.

  1. Fill each muffin cup about 1/2 to 2/3 full. Bake for 25 minutes if using 2 eggs, 30 minutes if using 3 eggs, and 35 minutes for 4 eggs. Try to refrain from opening the oven during baking.

  1. Remove the popovers from the pan immediately, and prick each with a fork to let the steam escape (this helps them hold their shape). Serve as soon as possible, either plain or with butter and/or jam.

Recipe by Mollie Katzen, opens in a new tab. From the Moosewood Cookbook.

Overhead view of the Moosewood Cookbook opened to handwritten recipes for Zucchini-Feta Pancakes and Cottage Cheese and Apple Pancakes on a white background


Front view of Moosewood Cookbook with tan cover showing orange wedge, lemon slice, green leaves by Mollie Katzen

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