Yorkshire Pudding

Yorkshire Pudding

If I could name the quintessential childhood recipe my mother made for me, one I begged for repeated, that dish would be Yorkshire Pudding.  With their golden brown crusty exteriors and delicate hollow centers my mouth would start watering the minute mom started mixing the batter.  Yorkshire Pudding was part of a traditional roast beef dinner, or on extra special occasions, Prime Rib, so my family had these only once or twice a year...but when she did make them it was a race to eat as many as fast as I could.

Over the years I've tried to describe Yorkshire Pudding to people who haven't tried them but mostly I only manage to convey what they're not.  They're not a muffin, biscuit, roll, souffle, pancake or bread.  Purists may call them a Popover because past dictates that Yorkshire Pudding is only Yorkshire Pudding if beef fat is incorporated but in my opinion Popovers do not come close to the texture or mouth feel of an authentic Yorkshire Pudding. It's what my mother called them and she was always right!

Historically, Yorkshire Pudding originated in Yorkshire, England in the mid 1700's.  Also known as batter pudding or dripping pudding, a shallow pan of batter was placed underneath a spit of roast beef or mutton, the fat and juices dripped into the pan, mixing with the batter and eventually rising to create a savory accompaniment to the meal.  The pudding would then be cut into squares and served with gravy alongside the roasted meat.  Over time ovens replaced the open hearth and muffin tins were substituted to make individual puddings.

Today Yorkshire Pudding starts as a thin batter poured into a pre-heated muffin tin containing a small amount of melted butter, then baked in a very hot oven.  Inside the oven something magical happens and the Yorkie's inflate, growing more and more puffy until they begin to resemble crispy, golden balloons.

The steam trapped inside creates a silken middle with delicate custard-like strands which are perfectly absorbent for sopping up delicious beefy gravy.
 

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour  (Using the right flour is very important. Ironically if you use self-rising flour they will not rise!)

½ teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 cup whole or 2% milk

¼ to ½ stick of butter divided into 12 pieces (about the size of a 1/2 pat)

Muffin or Popover pan

Cookie sheet larger than muffin pan**

**IMPORTANT:  Make sure to put the muffin pan on a cookie sheet while baking to catch drips, otherwise smoking may occur and in the worse case scenario a fire could start on the bottom of the oven.  Trust me you do not want this, nothing ruins a dinner party faster having to call the Fire Department!

Directions: 

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl (preferably with pour spout) add flour, salt, milk and eggs.  Beat with electric mixer for 1-2 minutes to make a thin batter.  (Tip: batter can be made in advance and may rise better if it's allowed to rest outside the fridge for up to 1 hour.)

Prepare muffin pan - Lightly grease muffin pan with the wrapper from a stick of butter. (Tip: do not use cooking spray or Pam as this will cause Yorkies to stick unmercifully.)  Place one piece of butter into each muffin cup and set in the oven atop a cookie sheet.  The butter will melt fast so stand by and remove the pan as soon as butter is liquified.

Working quickly to keep the muffin tin hot as possible, pour or ladle batter into each muffin cup about 2/3's full.  Place on middle rack of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Avoid opening the oven or slamming cupboard doors while baking as the Yorkshire Pud's are oh-so sensitive to collapse.

Before

After!

Yorkshire's are best served immediately with gravy and/or butter but if you're lucky enough to have some leftover they make for a wonderful breakfast with jam and powdered sugar!

This blog is dedicated to my beloved mother on what would have been her 80th birthday.  Rest gently mom, I love you.