Gorgeous Gluten Free Yorkshire Puddings (Lactose Free Option)

Missing a decent Yorkshire pudding in your life?

Eating gluten free can often mean missing out on your favourite treats, or putting up with second rate substitutes that aren't a patch on the real thing.

As a parent who loves cooking, and has a child with coeliac disease who doesn't have a choice about eating gluten, I'm determined to make sure she can enjoy the same foods, and better where possible - and to share the recipes for anyone else who wants to make tasty gluten free food! 

So last week, I made French apple tart (OK, maybe French style, as I doubt they do much with gluten free pastry! And I haven't blogged it yet), and this week I attacked Yorkshire puddings. I've made them before many, many times, gluten free; using the 'by volume' method I've always used, but with a little less flour (so, you see what the volume is of eggs, and add the same volume of flour and milk), but it's not that scientific when it's by eye, and varies from time to time.

I decided to nail it down to the gram, with exact weights (and the rest), so we had a foolproof recipe that meant that not only could I recplicate it for perfect puds, but also that the rest of the family can make it too with reliable results.

To save them (and you!) the trouble, I experimented with different ratios of eggs/flour/milk, different oils, different baking trays and the rest, and here is what finally gave me the best results, and a Yorkshire pudding which I would not have been able to tell was gluten free if I hadn't known.

So here it is, the recipe that I will be following gram for gram from now on, to make my gluten free Yorkshire puddings. And remember.... DON'T OPEN THE OVEN DOOR WHILE THEY'RE COOKING! :D

Makes 12 medium-sized Yorkshire puddings (serves six) or 8 larger ones (see notes). Can be made in advance and reheated for 5-7 minutes.

Ingredients

• 3 large eggs (180g - preferably organic)
  95g gluten free plain flour (preferably Dove's farm - not one already high in cornflour)
• 30g gluten free cornflour
• 180ml whole milk (lactose free if necessary, I use lactose free for my daughter)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Sunflower oil for baking tray (or other neutral tasting oil with a high smoke point)

Equipment

• 12 hole muffin tin - for best results a good quality heavy gauge / thick metal, I use this one which has a double layer of non-stick coating, and it's half price at the time of writing, so a real bargain!  I don't really recommend silicone (as it doesn't give the best results), but it can work if you put a little more oil in and make sure it's really, really hot.

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 8 / 230C / 210C Fan Oven. Beat the eggs, then use a small stiff whisk to mix in the two types of flour, and get rid of any lumps. Unlike 'normal' Yorkshire pudding batter, I don't recommend you prepare this ahead of time and leave to rest for a while (I tried it, it didn't improve things).

2. Add the milk, half at a time, and mix in thoroughly (keep using the whisk, it's fine).

3. Pour in enough oil to comfortably cover the base of each cavity in your muffin tin (around a teaspoon each - don't use oil spray, or skimp, as they just won't rise properly), and put it into the oven until the oil is really hot (I put it in for about 10 minutes - it's very important to get it really hot so that they rise well).

4. Add salt and pepper to your Yorkshire pudding mix to taste (I add 1/2 level tsp of salt). Give everything a really good stir just before you take out the oiled muffin tin, as sometimes the flour can start sinking to the bottom of the mix.

5. Take out the tin with the hot oil, and immediately start pouring in the batter to about half way in each cavity until it's all used up - if it doesn't start bubbling a bit when you pour it in, then your oil isn't hot enough, so put it back in for a few more minutes then try again.

6. Once you've divided your mix between the 12 cavities, immediately put your tray back into the middle of the oven, shut the door, and don't open it again until they're cooked! Cook for around 20-25 minutes until well risen with crispy brown tops (this takes about 22 minutes in my oven). 

The cook's treat - hot out of the oven with gravy for dipping!

7. Serve immediately, or cool, then drain on kitchen towel to soak up excess oil, and chill or freeze until needed. Cook for about 5-7 minutes to re-heat from chilled. Enjoy with a good old Sunday roast, usually roast beef, or even with sausages, buttery mashed potatoes, and onion gravy, For a traditional Yorkshire experience, serve before your Sunday roast with gravy, to 'dull the appetite'! (This is also the cooks treat, don't you know - so make sure you have some nice hot gravy to hand when you take them out, if you're not serving them immediately, so you can dip one in it to nibble!).

This batch was made by my 13 year old daughter from my recipe - tasted perfect!

 

 

Notes: For extra flavour you could add half a tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt) and about 1/2 tsp dried thyme. I recently made these and filled the outer eight holes almost to the top instead of dividing the mix between the whole tray, and cooked for an extra few minutes, and they turned out really delicious - I wrote this note in case I wanted to replicate them - which I do - I think they're the best ones to date! However, the oil must be really, really hot (and I put a little more in, so each cavity had 2-3 mls in it) and gave the pan a good 15 minutes in the oven. The batter must sizzle 'agressively' when you pour it into each hole, or you'll find your Yorkshire puddings have an unpleasant stodgy bottom.