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Yorkshire Pudding: A Family Recipe from My Mother-in-Law
Being married to a Yorkshire man from Leeds means a few things: endless cups of tea, strong opinions about football, and of course—perfect Yorkshire puddings. My mother-in-law, who had these down to an art (except for the football part, lol), graciously taught me how to make them just right. And let me tell you, once you get the technique down, you’ll never look back.
The Simple Formula for Yorkshire Pudding
The recipe itself is beautifully simple. It’s all about equal parts eggs, all-purpose flour, and milk. I typically use 3 eggs, which comes out to about 2/3 cup. From there, it’s easy: just match that with 2/3 cup of milk and 2/3 cup of flour. This ratio works perfectly for making a dozen muffin-sized puddings.
The Secret to Perfect Rise: Technique Matters
Getting that glorious puff and golden color is all in the technique. First, you need to use a fat that can handle high heat, like:
- Beef drippings (classic and full of flavor)
- Lard
- Avocado oil or any high smoke-point oil
Make sure you heat the fat in the muffin tin until it’s piping hot before pouring in the batter. If the oil isn’t hot enough, the puddings won’t rise—or worse, they’ll deflate the second you pull them out of the oven.
Another pro tip? Don’t open the oven door while they’re baking! I know it’s tempting, but just use the oven light and keep an eye on them through the glass. The puddings are ready when they’ve reached a lovely light-to-medium brown color.
Learn from My Mistake: Watch Those Drippings!
Here’s a little mishap I learned from recently: make sure there are no stray drips of batter hanging over the edge of the muffin tin. If the drippings are half in and half out of the tin, the batter won’t rise properly. Instead, it will get pulled down by the weight of the dripping batter. A quick wipe of the edges before baking can save the day!
Size Matters: Why I Prefer Muffin-Tin Puddings
While traditional Yorkshire puddings in England can be the size of your head (and yes, they are gloriously delicious), I prefer the muffin-tin version for portion control. Let’s be honest—I probably shouldn’t be eating a Yorkshire pudding the size of a dinner plate! 😂
But no matter the size, there’s nothing quite like a Yorkshire pudding drenched in rich gravy, served alongside a tender roast beef. It’s the taste of cozy Sunday afternoons and holiday dinners.
One Last Tip: Let the Batter Rest!
For the best results, let your batter rest in the fridge overnight. If you’re short on time, 3-4 hours will do the trick. This resting period lets the flour fully absorb the liquid and the gluten relax, giving you a more flavorful and well-textured batter.
So the next time you’re planning a Sunday roast or a holiday feast, give this recipe a try. And don’t forget the gravy!
Happy cooking!
Yorkshire Pudding
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- all purpose flour, same measurement as eggs
- whole milk, same measurement as eggs
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 12 Tbsp beef fat, from beef roast drippings or lard or avocado oil or any high temperature tolerant oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
- In a measuring cup, measure out the 3 eggs. With that measured amount, measure out the exact same amount of all purpose flour, and same amount of milk.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, milk and flour, and add salt. Mix together until it's a smooth consistency and there are no more lumps.
- Put batter mix in the fridge, ideally overnight, or for at least an hour.
- Add 1 Tbsp of oil/butter into each cup in the muffin tin.
- Place muffin tin in the oven for 30 minutes until the oil is sizzling hot. You can test this by adding a small amount of batter mix, and if it sizzles then the oil is hot enough.
- Add batter mix to each cup of muffin tin.
- NOTE: Wipe off any drippings in between the holes because if they're half in/out of the holes it will cause issues with rising by dragging the pudding down.
- Place the muffin tin back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the puddings are a nice golden brown.
- Remove from oven. Traditionally enjoyed with gravy poured on top. Serve immediately!
Nutrition
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