Popovers and Pan Wars!!

It's Saturday night, and I should be out partying with my peeps, but it's Joe's last night home on spring break, and he wants popovers, so NATURALLY... popovers win! First, lets start by saying it was "sushi night", but that didn't stop us from culinary adventures... post sushi party, of course! The audacity to try and make popovers while living a stone's throw from Judies Restaurant, the popover capital, shrine of all things pop-holy and pop-humungous (popover style)??? I do not know... but, I'm giving it a shot! Popovers are actually simple and humble, only a few ingredients: 4 eggs, 1 and 1/2 cups milk (you choose skim, 1%, 2%, whole), 1 and 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 3 Tablespoons butter (melted). Now, you really want "room temperature" eggs, not frigid eggs fresh from the cooler. So I put my 4 eggs in a hot tub of warm water for about 10 minutes. I also warmed the milk a bit (30 seconds) in microwave to take the chill off). I'm no baker, but I think when everything's the same temperature (and not cold) it dances together, like Fred and Ginger, The Skipper and Gilligan, Lucy and Ethel... or something like that! Drop those room temperature eggs into the luke warm milk and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and whisk into submission! When the eggs are fully incorporated you'll have a frothy, bubbly, eggy bathtub ready for some flour! Drop that carefully measured cup and a half of flour (that's King Arthur, unbleached, all purpose flour in this house) and mix like your life depends on it! Scrape sides and get every last lump to buy in to the popover party of goodness! After everything's smooth and creamy, time to add the melted butter and whisk like crazy! Take your muffin pan and grease all sides and tops of the pan. Here's where I actually tried committing to popover bliss, and searched for a popover pan all day!! None to be found...so, I bought a new muffin pan (about time!!), greased that and began pouring in the batter. After pouring about each cup up to 3/4 full of popover batter, I had a little batter left... Now, it's NOT IN ME to waste one bit of tasty popover goodness, so, why not promote a little healthy competition. Why not invite my old, decrepit, dented, pitiful muffin pan to compete with brand new shiny strong "Kitchen Aid" pan?? Let's see what happens! I'm a big fan of using old crappy things that don't look good but yield great results, especially in the kitchen.... so, let's see! So I poured the last of that popover promise into "old-pan-girl" and hoped she'd find a way to rally with new Kitchen Aid girl!! Will she measure up? Can she compete? We'll see (go, you old girl, do us proud)!! Cook popovers in a 450 degree oven for 20 minutes. Do not open the oven. After 20 minutes turn down to 350 degrees for another 10-15 minutes. Alas, I'm not sure the old girl could take the heat. I was really rooting for her, so I gave them a "head to head" last chance effort at greatness! When it comes to popovers... you be the judge... old-girl-pan on the left... new fancy-pants-girl on the right. DANG! Sorry old girl. So, make some delicious popovers and make your kids, and yourself happy! Best with apple butter, but can also team with butter, ice cream, dipped in soups or stews or simply on their own! Humble, home cooked yumminess!