Yorkshire Puddings

Yorkshire Puddings are a very Yummy British Food. The first time I had them was when I came to visit Lee in May of 2001. When they said to me we are having roast beef and Yorkshire puddings I actually expected them to be some sort of what we in America call pudding. Then when they said you pour gravy over the top of them I realised I couldnt be more wrong. Yorkshire puddings are a savory food. You eat them mostly with Roast Beef but as we like them so much in our home we have them with a variety of meats. You can buy Yorkshire Puddings in the store already made, where you put them in the over to heat them and make them a little bit crispy. You can buy the batter where you bake them at home and they turn out perfect thanks to Aunt Bessie or if you are really really talented, or maybe if you actually have british blood running through your veins (Probably not since I am a blue Blood, something to blog about another time) you can make them from scratch! I have a really good recipe:

1/2 c. plain flour

1 beaten egg

2/3 c milk & water mixed

and I add a variety of herbs as well.

I then use vegetable Lard and put it in muffin tins and put the tin in the oven for a little bit on the highest temperature to let the oil get really hot and then I pour the batter into the muffin pan. It sizzles as it goes in and then I put them in the oven, making sure not to open the oven for about 25 minutes until they are nice and golden. But mine turn out like Blobs. Infact tonight for dinner I asked each of them if they wanted a yorkshire blob. See Yorkshire puddings are supposed to have a hole like in the middle but mine always turn out like cakes rounded. Then as you pull them out of the muffin pans they go all flat and mushy. So the reason for this post is to ask all you Lovely British women who read my blog what am I doing wrong? I have to perfect these before we move back to the states. I would like to perfect them even before we go back there for a visit at the end of March (again another blog post about that to follow tomorrow) In the meantime any suggestions? I would love to hear how you make them.