As the nights draw in and the air cools down, salad days give way to a desire for more hearty stomach stickers.  If you’re missing your Yorkshires, and there’s no Aunt Bessie’s to be had you might be amazed to find out how easy they are to actually make from scratch.

Basic store cupboard ingredients are all you need to whip up a quick Yorkie batter.  Some people have disasters with Yorkshire puddings but there is really just one key secret – a very hot oven.

You’ll need for a six patty bun tin:

• 75g plain flour (about 1 full cup)
• 2 eggs
• 50ml milk
• 50ml water
• Salt & pepper

Place the flour in a bowl, make a well in the middle and break the eggs into it.  Gently start to combine the eggs and flour with a balloon whisk and when it starts getting claggy add about half the milk & water (combine these).   Whisk the batter until smooth – getting all those floury lumps broken up.  Add more liquid until you reach the consistency of single cream and then season well.  For ease later I now put the batter into a jug for pouring.

If roasting meat, I generally wait till it’s done before cooking the Yorkies.  Meat likes a rest before it gets devoured and is easier to carve/handle when cooler.  Also I don’t think it’s something that in itself needs to be piping hot on the plate – warm plates and hot gravy will sort that out.

So, take out the meat and whack the oven up to 220 degrees Centigrade.  Poor a little oil in each patty of your tin, swill it about a bit and put it in the oven to heat up.  When the oven reaches temperature, the tin will be very hot, so carefully take it out and put it on a heat proof board.  Quick as you can pour the batter into each patty – half fill each and then go back around topping off until it’s all in.

If the tin is good and hot the batter will almost start to cook before your eyes!

Now back into the oven and if you’ve a glass door, pull up a stool and watch the action.  The puds will take 25-30 mins to cook, they’ll rise first and then start browning off.  Don’t open the oven while they’re in the rising stage or you risk taking the wind out of their sails.  If you don’t have a glass window in the oven you must keep the faith for at least 20 minutes.

You can be carving the meat and beginning to dish up so that the last things to add are the puds and the roasties which are in the oven.

Traditionally served with beef, we like 'em with all our roasts, and they always make an appearance on our Christmas Dinner plate. Enjoy!

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