Grandma’s Secret Recipe
by Ross Mavis

I don’t think there is any debate. Yorkshire pudding, if you have British ancestry and popovers, if you are American, are separate beasts. Although they are somewhat similar in their ingredients, they are often eaten entirely differently. Some authors say Yorkshires are a cross between popovers and soufflés, while others say the connection is purely coincidental. Be that as it may, I have always believed Yorkshire pudding was the perfect addition to a roast beef.

In the United States, I have eaten popovers flavoured with various spices as a side dish with beef, pork or chicken. And even a further variation to this theme involves sweetening these puffy pieces with cinnamon or honey and eating them as a dessert.

No matter what you call them or how you eat them, you owe it to yourself to try them. Yorkshire puddings are only whispered about in some households as they consider these light puddings impossible to perfect. Stop the whisper campaign right now. Get ready to have your guests shout with delight when you serve this legendary accompaniment. Call guests to the oven to see how beautiful and large Yorkshires can be as they bake up high and golden. Gaze at them with awe while they are cooking because they lose some of their puffiness when served. The reason for this is that ‘steam’ provides the leavening or rising-power for these puddings. Once out of the oven and onto the plate they will deflate slightly as the interiors should still be moist, soft and unable to support their flaky domes.

“All the better to hold the gravy,” I’ve been told by my wife. On more than one occasion, Willa has risen the next morning and reheated the previous night’s Yorkshire for breakfast. Now that’s a testimony to their goodness. The egg rich puddings certainly fit right in with breakfast. There are two basic ways to cook Yorkshire puddings. Either in a small roasting pan or in muffin cups. I prefer the muffin cup method simply because everyone gets a full crusty shell. When these puddings are cooked in one pan, someone gets the interior without crusty sides. This has resulted in some pretty serious family feuds. Don’t risk it. Bake them in muffin tins.

I’ve been told that my Father’s Mum would bake the lightest, most perfect Yorkshire pud after a fresh snowfall. Family legend has it that ‘Boots Grandma’ (the name I attributed to her as a child as her dog was called Boots) would add a quantity of fresh snow to her Yorkshire batter just before putting it in the oven. To this day, I have not been able to duplicate her success using snow. It might have something to do with the heavy metals we no doubt now have in our snowfall. It may also be just a piece of family fiction. The thing that is not disputed however is Boots Grandma’s legendary Yorkshire puddings.

My Canadian family never made Popovers. The only time I ever had them in my youth was when we visited my Dad’s cousin in Seattle, Washington. She made popovers. Added oregano, thyme and chervil to them and served them hot with chicken. They were very good. When vacationing in the Florida Keys some years ago, we had what I think were also popovers. Honey buns, they were called and served as an appetizer prior to a fish fry. Warm and sticky with honey drizzled on them, they made a great foil for the spicy, fried fish that followed.

But please don’t let me confuse you or throw you off the path to making a fantastic Yorkshire pudding for this Sunday’s prime rib roast. Surprise the family and surprise yourself, if you haven’t tried this exquisite accompaniment to the beef, potatoes, vegetables and gravy. If you follow this recipe, I guarantee the results. My phone number is at the bottom of the column. That’s how much I believe in your success.

Here are some important points to remember. A hot pre-heated oven is a must (once the roast is done, crank up the oven to 400 F (205 C). Ingredients must be at room temperature (take the eggs and milk out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before preparation). Carefully follow this recipe and watch the show in your oven.

Boots Grandma’s Yorkshire Pudding
This recipe makes 12 large muffin-sized Yorkshires. Serve them hot right from the oven with lots of beef gravy. Recipe can be halved.
4 eggs (room temperature) 4
2 cups milk (room temperature) 500 mL
2 cups all purpose flour 500 mL
1 tsp. salt 5 mL

Have ingredients measured and ready to use while you remove the roast from the oven. Increase oven temperature to 400 F (205 C). In a large muffin pan, place one teaspoon of hot beef drippings from the roasting pan, into each muffin cup. I often use a turkey baster to squirt a small amount into each cup.
In a glass measuring cup (I use the 8 cup size) or bowl, beat eggs with an electric hand mixer about 30 seconds until frothy. Add milk and beat again for another 15 or 20 seconds. Add flour and salt, beating for at least two minutes until batter is creamy and smooth. Quickly place muffin pan in the oven for about 1 minute to heat and melt drippings already added. Remove muffin pan, pour batter into each cup, almost filling them to the top. Place in oven, with baking sheet underneath to catch the drips and bake undisturbed for about 30 minutes. Watch how high the puddings get through the glass oven door, but don’t open the oven door until ready to remove puddings. When done, they will be high, puffy, golden brown and yet still moist in the centers. Serve immediately with gravy, beef and vegetables.

Check out our two cookbooks