You can cook Yorkshire pudding in one big baking tin (roughly 8 inches by 10 inches and at least 2 inches deep) or in a muffin tin.  In the first instance you spoon it out into the individual portions once it is cooked.  In the second, each person has his or her own private pudding which usually has a hole in the top in which the diner can pour gravy.  I know what I prefer!  In either case, the key to a good Yorkshire pudding is that you pour cold batter into hot fat.  The baking tin/muffin pan must have at least 1/4 inch of hot fat in the bottom of it before you add cold batter to bake.  Traditionally suet is used.  Failing that you might try goose or duck fat, dripping, lard or even oil (never butter – it will burn) but I confess I have never tried anything other than suet.

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup white flour
1 cup milk

Method

Beat the ingredients together very well.  If using a blender or hand whisk blend/beat for at least one minute, making sure you incorporate all the batter in the final mix.

Put in the fridge for at least one hour – all day if you want to – the important thing is that it is in there at least an hour as it must be cold when it hits the oil to make a crispy pudding.  If you don’t have time to chill it, never fear, you will get a good pudding – just not an amazing pudding!

Make sure the oven is up at 400 degrees F.  Given you are probably serving Yorkshire pudding with roast, you can safely take the roast out when it is done and allow it to rest while you cook the puddings.  Cover the roast with tin foil.  It will stay warm and the juices will rise to the surface, making it juicy and delicious.  To that end, when you are planning your meal, plan to eat when the puddings are done – and they take 30 minutes more than the roast.

To bake the pudding, drop some suet into the bottom of the pan (or into the individual muffin tins) and put this pan in the oven for a few minutes – until the suet is smoking. While you are doing this, remove the batter from the fridge and give it another quick beat to make sure it is smoothly blended.

Pour the batter into the pan (or muffin tins) and return the pan to the oven for 15 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 375 degrees F and bake for a further 15 minutes.  Whist the pudding is in its final 5 minutes or so of baking, I suggest you carve and plate up everything else (on hot plates to keep it all warm) because you want to put the pudding on the plate at the very last moment so it is crispy and delicious, not flabby and cold.  Pop the pudding on the plates and quickly take them to the table for the hot gravy treatment.

Your guests will be amazed.