Saturday, December 19, 2009

Yorkshire Pudding...

are not just with beef any more…

Similar to popovers, Yorkshire Pudding is actually a bread. It is light, spongy and fluffy… perfect for soaking up gravy, sauces or dessert creams. Traditionally, Yorkshire Pudding is cooked in a large tin underneath a roasting joint of meat, in order to catch the fat and juices that drip down, and then cut appropriately. Nowadays though, individual round puddings ~ baked in muffin trays or small skillets ~ are increasingly popular. I like to make them in muffin tins, so there is usually a dip in the center of the top, where the pudding refuses to rise and I can pour gravy into the “hole” or fill it with various sauces, much like a puff pastry shell.

All good cooks have their own favorite Yorkshire Pudding recipe, and this is mine! The recipe is actually very easy to make. It will produce the best, light and crisp pudding that you have ever tasted! I always use this recipe when I'm cooking roast beef and I find that it also goes perfectly with roast chicken or pork.

But, I like to fix them for breakfast or as a delicious dessert, too. That way I can serve them with a drizzle of melted butter & honey or fill them with sweet dessert creams & fruits.


Yorkshire Pudding

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1 cup of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup (roughly) of beef drippings.
Substitute melted butter or bacon drippings, if you have no beef drippings

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Then stir in the milk, flour, and salt. Cover the batter with a towel and let it rest for a while to become bubbly. A while can be 2 minutes or half an hour… whichever you have.

Put about a tablespoon of drippings or melted butter into the bottom of each muffin cup and put just the drippings into the oven. Let the pan and drippings get hot (about 3-5 minutes).

Remove the pan, and quickly fill each muffin cup about halfway with the batter. Return the pan to the oven. Bake for 15 minutes. Then, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until toasted and “set”.

Makes 12

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George’s notes:
  • In 1737 a recipe for 'A dripping pudding' was published in "The Whole Duty of a Woman" ~ Make a good batter as for pancakes; put in a hot toss-pan over the fire with a bit of butter to fry the bottom a little then put the pan and butter under a shoulder of mutton, instead of a dripping pan, keeping frequently shaking it by the handle and it will be light and savoury, and fit to take up when your mutton is enough; then turn it in a dish and serve it hot.
  • Similar instructions were published in America eight years later by Hannah Glasse under the title of 'Yorkshire pudding'.
  • Here is the recipe card given to me by a dear friend Helen Smythe from Wales, who called them ‘pudding breads’ and served them at every meal, as her bread serving.




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14 comments:

  1. Handwritten recipes are little treasures and this one is a beauty. Yorkshire pudding is one of those amazing recipes that can be either sweet or savory. Thanks for sharing this one, George. I'm looking forward to serving it with my Christmas roast.

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  2. George, I've made yorkshired pudding and do love it with rib roast, but have never tried it for breakfast. You may have started something new. Love your footnotes.

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  3. Oh my....it has been far too long since I made these. Love it! great little recipe and you always make your posts so interesting...with great little tidbits of information and history. What a great idea to serve for breakfast with a bit of fruit and maybe some heavy cream?! Oooooh decadent!

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  4. Loving this recipe, George. My mother used to make one with sausage- the English call it Toad in the Hole. I still make it once in a while and posted it a while back. It also reminds me of something else my mother loved- Dutch Babies. She would sprinkle lemon and confectioners sugar all over it.

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  5. A good yorkie is a glorious thing! We rate the pubs we go to for a Sunday roast by the quality of the yorkie - some of them look like giant popcorn pieces, the batter has just exploded into fluffy lusciousness. And some of the fancy schmance caterers in London do tiny wee yorkies filled with a little dab of horseradish cream and some sliced roast beef as a canape, which I love!

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  6. I can't believe I've never made yorkshire pudding. I think I've had it before, but I'm not sure. How sad is this.

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  7. Oh I love Yorkshire pudding its thrilling to see them great job, my Grandma is from Yorkshire and she always makes them for us, I need to make them again.

    Oh this would be a great guest post hint hint!!

    Love Rebecca

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  8. Feel like I've been missing out since I have never had Yorkshire pudding! Love old handwritten recipes....a step back in time!

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  9. Perfection George!

    I love Yorkshire Pudding and I'm so happy that you've shared your favorite recipe. The next time I make this (soon), I'll use yours.

    It's always a supreme treat to come visit your blog.

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  10. I have had them before but have never made them myself--they look delicious!

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  11. They look perfect!mine have never come out this nice. I love them; our favourite restaurant is Mr Prime Rib ane od course I have Prime Rib; they know I like no potatoes but 2 Yorkshire puddings with lots of au jus on the side.

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  12. Oh I adore Yorkshire pudding, it brings back wonderful memories of a New Year's in northern England & a wonderful family dinner my friends & I were invited to thanks to a broken boiler in our rented cottage.

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  13. It has been too long since I last had yorkshire pudding! It used to be a staple on holiday dinners.

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  14. How clever to make these in muffin tins! I love that little indentation (the better to fill it with honey or butter or preserves). I love the egginess of Yorkshire pudding.

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