Yorkshire Puddings

[midori1999]

This has been annoying me for ages, so I have to ask. I can make yorkshire puddings. They rise loads and are all big and puffy. However, they don't look like they are 'meant' to if that makes sense? Not all risen at the outside and hollow in the centre, but instead risen all over.

What I am doing wrong?

They sound great! Mine are usually either flat and hard or flat and soaked in oil.

Aunt Bessie has a lot to answer for.

Yours sound like mine and obviously mine are perfect

I could never make YP's till I had to make gluten free ones - 4 eggs, 90g cornflour and milk as normal. These rise wonderfully - they are nice and crisp and I have never had a bad one -even my mum makes these now instead of the "normal" ones

Notapizzaeater. I'd never made Yorkshire puddings until I had to make gluten free ones. I use 50g of cornflour, 50g of gluten free plain flour, 3 eggs, 140 mls of milk and a pinch of salt. They are very yummy and look the part too

What's your recipe? Are you using plain flour?

Mine used to go like this. I asked my Nan who told me the key is very very hot lard i.e. smoking when you take it of the oven. If it is not smoking it is not hot enough. And it must be lard, not oil. Oil makes them greasy. My nan makes ace puddings and so do I

Dooin - not arguing with your Nan (who would dare ) but they are just as good with oil as long as it's HOT. It's the heat that creates the 'pot' shape - although (and I'm willing to be corrected) I believe they are supposed to be like yours are :)

(Bloody useless for cramming with mash, peas & gravy though )

Sorry - for some reason the paragraphs didn't slit up - try again...

Dooin - not arguing with your Nan (who would dare ) but they are just as good with oil as long as it's HOT.

Midori - It's the heat that creates the 'pot' shape - although (and I'm willing to be corrected) I believe they are supposed to be like yours are!

(Bloody useless for cramming with mash, peas & gravy though )

I find it works best with really hot oil and really cold batter (made well in advance and kept in the fridge.

Mine went down well with the pil today, mil uses Aunt Bessies when we got to their house - fil ate 3 of my homemade ones today (it was noted by MIL).

I have never made a yorkshire pud that is a pot shape, they are always risen and puffy like OP and my lard is always smoking hot.

I suspect Aunt Bessie is engaging in witchcraft to make her pud. Especially the batters that come in a little tin, How does she do it?

I am far from an expert when it comes to YPs, but I have had them puff right up before. This only seems to happen when I haven't made the batter early enough, and left it in the fridge for at least half an hour.
Chilled, rested batter, and smoking hot oil usually produces pots for gravy! :)
Now if I could just get them to come out as nice as my mums ones...

This reminds me of one of the "are my labia normal?" threads !

Seriously though, I use Gordon Ramsey's Yorkshire Pudding recipe and they turn out fab. I would be happy to reproduce it here, if anyone's interested.

I'm not sure of the exact science but I think a denser batter makes it more likely to have a sunken middle... to be honest though, who cares! Just poke the middle down with a spoon and create a gravy-pea-mash bowl if you wish :)

Thanks everyone.

I don't really have a recipe, I just use plain flour, eggs, milk and a pinch of salt. I have tried recipes though and they still come out the same. I have also tried making the batter thinner or thicker but that doesn't help.

I always have the tin piping hot and have tried lard and veg oil, both seem to give the same result.

I always rest the batter on the side though, so will try chilling it.

The puds are lovely, but yes, it would be nice to be able to fill them with gravy etc.