Perfect Yorkshire Puddings

All you need to know to make perfect Yorkshire Puddings plus 2 starter recipes, 14 main course recipes and 8 sweet Yorkshire pudding variations.  The book also has accompaniments and over 20 hints and tips if things go wrong.


The original recipe for Yorkshire Pudding appeared as a way of using the

juice which fell from a spit roasted joint. Mutton was the meat suggested,

possibly because mutton fat is very copious. The kitchen boy had the job of

turning the spit and liked to dip his fingers in the juices from the roasting joint

as a sly reward. Yorkshire pudding was used as a cheap starter to take the

edge off the family’s appetite before the expensive meat course. Some

Yorkshire families eat Yorkshire pudding with butter before the main course

even today.


The traditional recipes changed to adapt to food fashions and changing

availability of ingredients. For instance, during the second world war fresh

eggs were not available in England so recipes were adapted to be able to use

the dried, de-hydrated eggs powder that was available, 1 level tablespoon of

dried egg powder replaced 2 small eggs. Recipes like these kept an

appearance of normality in food-scarce Britain. Rationing remained until 1950

but the ethos of substitution remained for a long time afterwards. Wartime

cooks were advised to make not only Yorkshire Pudding but sweet and

savoury pancakes, batter pudding and Toad in the Hole from the same basic

mixture. Wartime Toad in the Hole used sausages or meat leftovers.


The book is based on “Traditional Yorkshire Cooking – Yorkshire Pudding Recipes” by Anne Price published in 1994 by Dean Clough, Halifax, West Yorkshire by kind permission of the author.