Yorkshire Pudding - ala Dame Edna!

Egg and flour and milk taste good
When made into a Yorkshire pud

Ahhhh, the splendid Yorkshire Pudding.  My Mother In Law told me that Yorkies as they are affectionately known in England, were mainly used as a cost-saving method and to ensure that a cut of meat, that no doubt was terribly expensive, was stretched to feed a large, hungry family.  Yorkies were designed to fill up the tummy so eating a lot of the meat wasn't an option.  I don't know about you, but I can't think of a better appetizer myself!

My husband loves these with a roast beef.  I use the drippings of the roast, but you could also use bacon drippings or even plain vegetable oil. 

I usually make these in deep, individual cups, but you could also use your roasting pan (as long as it wasn't too big) or even individual ramekins.  The Yorkshires will spring over the top fully, so don't fill the cups up too full. 

Another favorite dish in British Pubs is a dish called "Toad In The Hole".    Using a small roasting pan, cooked sausages are plopped in the batter and it is baked just as a Yorkshire pudding.  It is served with a side of onion gravy and a simple vegetable.  It makes for a very nice meal.

This recipe came from my Mother in Law, Edna - or Dame Edna as we like to call her.  She is not well known for her "culinary" expertise, but when it comes to making traditional English recipes, there is no one like her.  She taught me this recipe and it is so simple, it's not funny. 

There are THREE TRICKS to making perfect Yorkshire puddings

1.  There are no exact measurements here.  It all depends on the eggs.  Use 1 egg for every two Yorkies you bake as a rule of thumb.  Crack open the eggs into a glass measuring cup.  Make a mental not of the measurement of the whole eggs.  This is exactly how much flour and milk you will add to your eggs in order to make the batter.  In other words, if you cracked 3 eggs and got 3/4 of a cup of eggs - you will then need 3/4 cup of flour and 3/4 cup of milk to mix in with the eggs to make the batter.  A pinch of salt and it's all over but the baking.

2.  Next secret is a ridiculously hot oven and a pan of drippings that's smoking hot.  If you're using a deep well cupcake tin, add about a 1/2 tsp of drippings per cup.  If you're using an 8x8 or a 9x9 pan, use about 2 TBS or less.  Put it in the hot oven and let it heat for at least 10 minutes.  You should notice a bit of smoke coming off the fat.  Your pan is ready for batter.

3.  Make your batter while your roast cooks.  Let it sit on the counter during the entire time.  Give it a final stir at the last minute, then quickly fill your tins.

Follow the above 3 steps and I guarantee, you'll have wonderful Yorkshire Puddings!

Dame Edna's Yorkshire Puddings
Makes Six

• Measure eggs and note the measure.  Dump the eggs into a large bowl. (I use 3 eggs for 6 Yorkies)
• Next add exactly the same amount of flour as the eggs measured.  Dump the flour into the eggs.
• Measure out the exact amount of milk as the eggs measured.  Pour the milk into the bowl with the flour and eggs. 
• Add a pinch of SALT. 

Whisk with a wire whip until the batter is smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rest on the counter while your roast bakes in the oven.

After your roast is done, let it rest.  Turn the oven up to 450 Degrees Farenheit.  Prepare your tin, using 1/2 tsp beef drippings in each deep cup.  Working quickly ladle batter into each tin.  Fill to about 2/3 full. 

Bake for at least 20 minutes.  Do not open the oven until 20 minutes has passed.  At the end of the baking time, check for doneness.  If it looks wet in the middle of the Yorkie, bake for another 5 minutes.  Remove from the tins and serve immediately.