Welcome to fall!  I’ll admit, I have been neglecting my blog for a couple of months.  With the start of a new school semester, a family visit, and an excellent vacation, my time has been filled with other obligations.  I am hoping that this will be my inaugural fall post, and that there will be many more to follow in the coming weeks.

Fall has officially started, and with it brings cooler temperatures and changing colors.  I was lucky enough to be able to take an end-of-summer vacation to the lovely state of Maine.  While I have been back for a week now, I cannot shake Maine from my mind.  From the untamed beauty of the woods to the dense fog that blanketed the coastline, I loved everything about this amazing state.  If you want to hear more about my adventures in Maine, check out my post about it here.

 

I don’t believe I had a bad or even mediocre meal the entire time I was there.  Every meal I ate either encompassed lobster (because why not?), wild Maine blueberries, or a combination of both.  Whether it was lobster rolls with Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale, or it was a whole lobster dinner ending with blueberry pie, I definitely got my fill of Maine’s delicacies.

Everyone kept telling me about a gatehouse in Acadia National Park that has the best popovers (or as they pronounce it—popovah) .  This being my first time visiting New England, I had no idea what it was, but I knew I had to figure out what had everyone so excited.

Jordan Pond Gatehouse served afternoon tea and popovers in an outdoor setting.  The lawn overlooked beautiful Jordan Pond.  I wasn’t sure what was better, the meal itself or the scenery.   Either way, I had figured out what was so special about this New England treat.

A popover is a variation of Yorkshire pudding.  It has a crispy outer layer, and the inside is light, airy, and nearly hallow.  It is typically served with lunch or dinner, and has its hold over New England.

New England Popovers with a Wild Maine Blueberry Buttermilk Milkshake

(makes 12 popovers / multiple milkshakes)

Popover:

• 1 1/2 tablespoon of melted butter plus additional for coating pan
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 3 room-temperature eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups of room-temperature milk

Optional:

• Additional butter for serving
• Jam for serving (I used blueberry of course)

Milkshake:

• 1 pint of vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup of fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup of buttermilk
• A splash of Crème De Cassis (optional)

For the popovers, start by heating the oven to 425 degrees.  While the oven is heating, generously grease your popover pans (or your Pyrex custard cups).  Once the oven is fully heated, place your popover pans into the oven for exactly 2 minutes.  While the pans are heating, whisk all ingredients together.  The more you agitate the batter, the more air will get into the batter and help the popovers rise.   The batter will be thin–similar to pancake batter.

When your batter is mixed and your pans are out of the oven, spoon in the batter to each pan, filling only halfway.  Place into the oven for 30 minutes, and try not to peek at your rising popovers.  Once finished cooking, serve warm with butter and jam.

During the last couple minutes of the popovers cooking, place all the milkshake ingredients into a blender.  Blend together until smooth, and pour into a frosted cup.  Enjoy!