Light and Crispy Cheese Popovers

Preheat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the bottom third; any other racks in the oven should be positioned well above this bottom rack, to allow plenty of clearance for the popovers to pop.  

To make the popovers: Thoroughly grease a standard 12-cup metal muffin pan or a standard 6-cup popover pan. Make sure the oven is up to temperature before you begin to make the popover batter.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt, mixing until the egg and milk are well combined and no streaks of yolk remain.

Add the flour and cheese powder all at once, whisking until frothy; there shouldn't be any large lumps in the batter, though smaller lumps are OK. If using a stand mixer, whisk at high speed for about 20 seconds, stop and scrape the sides of the bowl, and continue whisking for about 20 to 30 seconds at high speed, until frothy.

Quickly (but thoroughly) stir in the melted butter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, filling each well about 2/3 to 3/4 full.

Double-check that your oven is at 450°F, then place the popovers on the lower rack.

Bake the popovers for 20 minutes for the muffin pan, or 25 minutes for the popover pan. Don't open the oven door during this time. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until the popovers are a deep golden brown. If they seem to be browning too quickly, position a baking sheet on a rack at the very top of the oven to shield the popovers' tops from direct heat.

To make the cheese butter: While the popovers are baking, combine the butter and cheese powder in a small bowl, stirring until thoroughly combined.  

Remove the baked popovers from the oven and pierce their tops with the tip of a knife to release steam and help prevent sogginess. Slip the popovers out of the pan onto a rack, and serve immediately with cheese butter.

If you want the popovers to hold their shape longer without deflating and settling quite as much, bake them for an additional 5 minutes, for a total of about 40 minutes (if you can do so without them becoming too dark). This will make them a bit sturdier and able to maintain their "popped" shape longer. Remove them from the oven and pierce their tops with the tip of a knife to release steam. Slip them out of the pan onto a rack and serve as quickly as possible.

Storage information: Store any leftover popovers, well wrapped, for a couple of days at room temperature.