Ahhh, Yorkshire puddings, the perfect traditional accompaniment to succulent roast beef, albeit served in Yorkshire as a starter with onion gravy!

You’ll have to bear with me on this one.  Yes, I do cook Yorkshires quite often, but not on this occasion.  I am however relaying the recipe to please friends and will catch up with the pics next time I make a batch.  This recipe works, though it is unusual for me in that the weights and proportions are fairly important.

A few essentials to note:

• Whether you mix by hand or with an electric mixer I will leave to you, but the method I use is with a hand whisk
• After some experimentation I found the best container is a muffin tin, since the sides are slightly deeper and guide the batter as it rises, resulting in lovely self-contained puffs
• Oven temperature should be consistent so a fan oven or Aga is ideal, but you should always resist the temptation to look at your little beauties before they have finished cooking or they will flop!  Trust they will come out brown and ready and so they shall.

Ingredients:

• 200g plain flour
• 3 eggs
• 300ml milk
• Pinch of salt
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

Sift the flour into a wide bowl, add the salt and make a well in the middle.  Add the eggs into the middle of the flour and beat into the flour to make a smooth paste.  Add the milk a little at a time, beating constantly to ensure there are no lumps.  Add a little oil to the mix, cover and leave in the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.  When ready to cook, take from the fridge and give a rapid beating.

Put the tins at the top of a very hot oven (220c or a bit less in a fan oven – I use the top of the hot oven in the Aga) and close the door tight.  Cook for 30 mins and serve immediately.  Serve any leftover puffs with treacle as a dessert!