Lemon-Pepper Popovers

From Gourmet Magazine

3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in lower third. Generously butter 6 cups of a popover pan.

2. Whisk together milk, water, eggs, and zest in a bowl, then whisk in butter. Add flour, salt, and pepper and whisk until batter is combined well but still slightly lumpy.

3. Divide batter among popover cups and sprinkle tops with additional pepper as garnish. Bake until puffed and golden, about 40 minutes. Cut a slit about 1/2-inch long in top of each popover with a small sharp knife, then bake 5 minutes more.



Notes:
1. Popovers can be made in 9 buttered (1/2-cup) muffin cups; bake about 30 minutes before cutting slits.

2. For the highest-rising popovers, make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature, and heat your (ungreased) pan in the oven. If you’re really detail-oriented, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, then drop it to 375 when you put the popovers in.

3. I used olive oil instead of butter for greasing the pan, and it turned out just beautifully.

4. I have not tried Alton Brown’s method of blending all the ingredients up together, but his methods have never failed me, and I’m sure it would work just fine with this recipe. A whisk worked just fine for me, but who knows? They may have risen more.

5. Cutting the slits is a very important step! If you don’t, the steam will get trapped inside and make them gummy, and then they’ll deflate; and then you won’t have popovers, you’ll have sad little pancakes. Awww.