Why are my Yorkshire puddings shit?

[WhatIsTheCharge]

As the title says.

When my mum makes Yorkshire puddings, they puff up just right, crispy and brown on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Just perfect yorkies.

I use the exact same recipe - I weigh everything with digital scales every time. Use the same type of fat in the tin, cook at the same temperature, never open the oven door once they are in…..and mine are just shit. They either don’t puff up at all or they puff up the wrong way and come out like cupcakes 🤨
What am I doing wrong?!

Yorkshire woman here.Mine never fail.
You don't need to weigh anything.
Mix plain flour, must be plain or they won't rise.
Whole milk.
One egg- more than one results in puddings which look like the Elephant Man.
Salt....to taste.
Ensure the mixture is the consistency of single cream.Leave it to stand unrefrigerated for half an hour.
Preheat oven to 230 electric or gas equivalent, then heat oil until it's smoking. I suggest about a tablespoon of oil divided between a four hole tin, but my tablespoons are large.
Add batter- the shape should start to form immediately.
15 minutes will do it on either the middle or top shelf.

They were created to be eaten before the main meal, as meat was expensive so you would need to eat less.

Batter needs to be room temp. I use the Mary berry method. Perf every time. My grandma used to say you need Yorkshire hard water to make them perfect 😂

I think it made a difference when we all switched to semi skimmed milk form whole milk decades ago.

I have used whole milk and it is always better - fat content in batter helps

but as we only have semi skimmed normally I add more egg. I notice younger chefs like James Martin use a lot of egg, compared with my good housekeeping book recipe back form 1970s.

also, Yorkshires needs dripping. Hard to produce enough dripping from your roast these days as meat is raised leaner and faster. Oil just doesn’t have the flavour needed - too bland. I have no idea if the dripping also effects the raise.

my answer is just up the egg. Not ideal. But only solution I’ve found reliably

Mine have always come out doughy/raw and like sponge cakes despite hot hot oil, not opening the door etc… I now make GF Yorkshire puddings with cornflour flour following Becky Excel’s recipe and same thing happens, but she has some good tips and finally mine worked! I was putting too much oil in- she recommends only 1 tablespoon of oil in the bottom of a fairy cake tin (I had been pouring it in liberally into a muffin tin so it would cover about the bottom 1/4-1/3!) I was also putting too much mixture in filling it up 2/3 of the muffin tin. I now use the shallower fairy cake tin and only half full on top of 1 tablespoon of v hot oil and for the first time in my life I have managed to make perfect Yorkshires!!

My grandmother would roast her meat on open rack with basting tray underneath. When ready she’d take some fat off for Roasties, but would leave the basting tray in place to collect more . She’d then make Yorkshire direct in basting tray, in that dripping fat. And meat juices. With meat still dripping down onto top of batter.
yourshire would come out, be eaten first, while meat rested and Roasties given last 30 mins on high blast.

i still remember the flavour and texture.

she was born in 1909. Meat was expensive. A joint was cooked on Sunday, but would be used in leftovers for next two days, the Yorkshire captured all the flavour of the beef dripping onto it, so only a slice or so of meat on Sunday was needed.

I'd ask your mum to come and make yorkies at your house with your oven and tin. I used to make perfect yorkies, but my tin died and I bought a new one. Can't get it right again. At least if your mum comes and cooks them at your place in your oven and tin it will be a controlled experiemnt.

And originally they were cooked under the meat to catch the fat.

Why faff around making Yorkshire Puddings? Just buy frozen ones. Way easier, way less hassle, and way cheaper!

My rubbish advice for this is to stop caring.

I meticulously measured and tested and calculated and they were rubbish.

I stopped caring and just chuck in random amounts, they rise, every time.

Ooh, there's an idea! I assume they were more stodgy than we make them now?

Unfortunately I’m living 5 and a half thousand miles away from my mum 🫣😂 Or else I’d be at hers every Sunday 😂

Unfortunately not a thing in the country I’m currently living in 😕
These Americans are yet to discover the joy of a Sunday roast

Yeah I’d say it was the oven

or your mum’s holding something back 😉

I agree with PP, the BBC Food recipe is foolproof. Mine come out perfect every time. Leave batter to get to room temp before you add, smoking hot oil, top of the oven, don’t open the oven door once they are in.

If it makes you feel any better OP, I made and cooked a Christmas cake today, left it in the oven with instructions, and my DH took it out too late. It’s burned all over the top, with crunchy black fruit. A far more expensive waste than a Yorkshire pudding!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chicago-Metallic-Popover-Pan-16-inch-2-25-inch/dp/B003YL3DWO/ref=lp_49980806031_1_3?pf_rd_p=60dd658f-031a-4280-aa87-1081ade212ef&pf_rd_r=TDW97STEDXW65ZY348RW&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D

I bought one of these and it was a game changer!

I’m coeliac and lactose intolerant and absolutely love Yorkshires so I make my own and they are fab. Just 200g corn flour, 200ml milk, 100ml water and six eggs. Break the eggs into the flour and mix, gradually add the milk and water mixing all the time. Put a teaspoon of oil in each muffin tin hole and put into a hot oven (200 degrees Celsius) for 10/15 minutes, add the mixture quickly and cook for 20 minutes.

This mixture makes 12 large puds and 6 smaller ones, they’re really light and rise well.

@Rozendantz Yorkshire puddings were traditionally a starter to fill people up before the main meal (meat was very expensive back in the day) and the meat dripping was used to cook them

Oh! I've only just seen you're in the US. Google popover trays. I actually got mine from Williams and Somona, I just included an Amazon uk link as it was the closest thing. Also are you using all purpose flour?

Sonoma!

Aaa Christmas cake!!!
Thats another thing I’ve gone without for the past few christmasses being in the US 😭

Normally in the UK, the making of the Christmas cake is a whole event for me and the DCs during October half term, but the ingredients to make a proper one (decent marzipan and the right types of dried fruit) are quite hard to come by in normal supermarkets here. American fruitcake is totally different to British fruitcake. I’ve asked my mum to buy a nice one though as we’ll be back in the UK by Christmas this year 😍
I’ve already accepted that I’m going to pile on weight when we get home because I’m going to be eating all the foods I’ve been missing!

It was an angel that brought it to God's own country.

Re the eggs, yes if you add more they will rise but it is cheating.

BTW if you can get them duck eggs made fabulous YPs

@WhatIsTheCharge

I use Gordon Ramsay’s recipe - these are much lighter and less claggy/eggy than James Martin’s ones and rise every time so may suit your altitude issue. it says makes 8, but I make 12 in a metal non-stick ‘seasoned’ I.e knackered old muffin tin. Oven is hot, batter is room temp, eggs are room temp before using, milk is cold. I leave to stand for up to 2 hrs. Muffin tin is heated with the oil (plain vegetable oil) for 15 mins (timed) before adding the batter into it. I also add a little of the beef juices to each mould (yorkshires are only on the plate with beef in this house). The oven door is closed whilst the batter is added to the tin. As soon as the batter hits the hot oil, the mixture creates an effect akin to tiny ‘worms/noodles’ rather than staying flat/smooth IYSWIM.. so I know we’re good to go. Cook for 15mins (timed)

https://www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/recipes/yorkshire-puddings/amp

Hope you sort your issue!

If your taking the batter directly from the fridge, and then putting it in hot lard/oil your instantly lowering the temperature of the fat.
The batter should be at room temperature.