Is lard essential?????

Oil works just as well, just make sure its hot before you put the mixture in.

Well put it this way, I'm veggie and couldn't live without my yorkies, or pancakes for that matter!

tootles wrote:

Oil works just as well, just make sure its hot before you put the mixture in.

Over the last week or so I have been experimenting with my yorkshires, using different cooking methods and two different tins, firstly I made some in my old style never washed tin yorkie pan, it needs oil of fat to not stick and the bottoms were slightly soft, then I tried my new style silicone tin, oil fat or nothing made no difference, the yorkies were crisper too. Cooking times were pretty much the same too.

I then commited the ultimate sin, cold tin, cold oil, hot oven, they came out exactly the same as hot tin and oil! I have today tried the silicone pan and from cold, half of them with beef dripping and half dry, came out perfectly again.

The next mix I do will be rested and not rested, I am expecting this to fail because my mum said so! I guess that is why we do things the way we do:question:

I wish I did Math, like you I cannot help myself giving the batter a 20 minute rest, I believe that it is an arrestable offence not to do it and I do not want the pudding plod on my doorstep either!

troll35 wrote:

Have to admit that I don't often rest the mixture. I use a couple of squirts of frylight in each section of my never washed tray and I rarely have any problems. I have found that the variations in quality of the finished puds seems to depend on the consistency of the mix. I never weigh out any ingredients, but use 4 large desertspoons of plain flour, 2 eggs, a bit of salt and sufficient milk to get the mix to a whipping cream like consistency. oh and I beat the life out of it with my balloon whisk.

I can't make yorkshire puds to save my life, but i am praactising and they are getting gradually better. I've worked out my batter, now i have to work out what is the right amount for each tin as i think i am putting too much in, but at least they are rising now
What i really wanted to say though was that my bloke and i had a "discussion" about whether the batter should be rested or not, i thought it was to allow the flour to absorb the liquid and that it was an old wives tale and not needed, he says that the resting is to allow the air to disperse as the mix should not be fluffy!