Not a cake, but technically is a 'bake'...Yorkshire Puddings!

I am almost, but not quite, ashamed to admit that for the best part of 30 years I have struggled with Yorkshire puddings.  Getting them to rise has been the main difficulty for me, seldom did they have the obligatory hollow (for gravy), and generally just a bit of a flop!  Then, a miracle happened at Christmas 2011 !  My husband bought me a little book; in fact is is called the Little Book of Yorkshire Pudding Recipes.  The mystery of beautiful YP's was to be unlocked forever!  I hadn't realised (foolishly) that it's all to do with science (isn't all cooking and baking!).

Scientists pondered over this great enigma and came up with a foolproof recipe for successful YP's every time, and now I share it with you below.  It seems there are as many YP recipes as there are makers of them, and I have tried most of them. I've tried Delia's recipe, Nigella's recipe, James Martin's recipe, and tons of others in my frantic YP quest. None worked for me, but I do believe they work for others, so it is all a bit hit and miss.  Recipes handed down from mother to daughter through the generations also seem to work for others. However, my own mum's recipe for YP's, which always worked for her; and each Sunday roast was accompanied with perfect YP's, alas did not work for me.

The secret of the following recipe is all about having the same quantities (volume) of ingredients, from the eggs to the milk, to the flour.  There is also another ingredient which i consider is key to the overall success of this recipe...

To make 6 large Yorkshire Puddings (slightly smaller than a saucer) you will need:

• 2 medium eggs in a measuring jug, take note of where on the measuring scale the volume is, then pour the eggs into a mixing bowl/larger jug
• Wherever the volume eggs was on the measuring scale of same jug, you will need the same volume of milk (I use semi-skimmed) - pour the milk into the larger jug/mixing bowl with the eggs
• Rinse and dry the jug, and pour in the same volume of plain flour (as with the eggs and milk), set aside for now 

Method:
1. Heat oven to 210 C (Fan) please use a reliable conversion chart for Gas
2. Beat with a hand whisk, the eggs and milk, until light and airy, and has a lot of froth on top, then set aside until froth disappears
3. In a 6 hole large YP tin, put a half teaspoon of vegetable oil into each hole
4. As soon as froth has disappeared, put tin in oven (needs to be in oven approx 10 mins to be fully hot, the hotter the better though)
5.  Pour flour into egg and milk mixture.  You could also add salt and black pepper at this stage
6. Beat in the flour until the mixture is smooth and creamy
7. As soon as the tin is ready to come out of the oven (oil hot enough to sizzle when batter is poured in) add about 2 tablespoons of cold, *sparkling mineral water (the sparkle must be very sparkly, so flat, or getting on for flat is not good enough), stir this into the batter quickly
8. Remove tin from oven, and quickly pour the batter into the tin, about 1/3 to a 1/2 full, and quickly return to the oven.  Leave in until well risen and golden to dark golden brown (approx 20 mins).  Don't be tempted to open oven door before 20 mins.

*the crucial secret ingredient (apparently)!

p.s. if your YP recipe works for you then don't change it :)

YP's turned over and waiting for their bottoms to have a bit more  baking!