Cranberry Cheddar Popovers

When I was in my early 20's (roughly ten years ago), I did what some girls in their early 20's do. I moved to a new city - all for a boy. A boy that I cared about so much that it made total sense to move nearly 900 miles away from my family to a city where I knew absolutely nobody but him. To be honest, I didn't even know myself. But who does in their early 20's?? Well, to make a very long story short, it didn't work out. But I always try to find the good in the bad. If it weren't for the move, I would have missed out on some huge learning experiences, some of the greatest friends I have ever had, and well, probably the popover... :)

I had my first popover at The Zodiac Room, a restaurant that was located inside of Neiman Marcus. My friends and I would go there for special occasions. I remember during my first visit when the dapper-looking waiter brought the popovers to the table with a side of strawberry butter. The popover looked totally foreign to me, so I just broke off a little piece, dabbed a little butter on it and took a bite.

Best.Bread.Ever. It has this light airy texture to it that is different, yet divine. 

Since that first visit, I have been obsessed with them (and their chocolate chip cookies) and have always wanted to make them on my own. So I made them this past weekend, with a little twist...

I added cheese. Cranberry cheddar cheese to be exact. What bread doesn't taste good with cheese? I was cruising the cheese section of the grocery store and saw the cheese, which I thought would be different and totally appropriate for the holiday season. Let me just tell you- if you love good cheesy, elegant-looking bread and an easy recipe, you will LOVE these. 

Here is what you need and what to do:
(Makes about 6 popovers)

1 cup whole milk

2 large eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 oz cranberry cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese), cubed
freshly grated cheese for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position the rack on the bottom third of the oven. Place the muffin pan on a cookie sheet and place it in the oven to warm. Note that these can be made in a regular muffin pan or in a popover pan.

In a small saucepan, warm the milk over medium heat until it is hot, but not boiling. You will see small little bubbles on the edge of the pot when its at the right temperature. Remove the milk from the heat.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, salt and pepper until smooth. Slowly, very slowly, whisk in the warm milk. Add the flour and whisk until just combined. The batter might be slightly lumpy, but it's ok.

Remove the muffin pan from the oven and spray the muffin cups generously with nonstick cooking spray. Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter in each muffin cup. Place a cube of cheese on top of the batter in each cup.

Bake the popovers until puffed and golden brown, about 40 minutes. If you open the door to the oven while they are cooking, they will collapse, so be patient! Remove the popovers from the pan, sprinkle them with grated cheese and serve immediately.

Yep, I'm thankful for the good and the bad. :)

Update: I'm sharing this recipe with Natasha at Schue Love! She is hosting a Holiday Recipe Party, so be sure to stop by!

Recipe adapted from here