Celebrating Yorkshire Pudding Day – A British Favourite

Yorkshire puddings can be found on most dinner tables. At the very least on Sundays, but if it’s my house we’ll have a Sunday dinner any day that ends in y. As an American, there is nothing better than having the equivalent of Thanksgiving Dinner every Sunday or even on a cold night during the week.

Yorkshire pudding history is fraught with mystery. There isn’t any information about when it came to Britain or how it became so popular. The first mention of this light, airy pudding was in a book written in 1737 by William Kendrick called The Whole Duty of a Woman. It included a basic recipe of cooking it under a leg of mutton for meat drippings, and they called it a “dripping pudding”. It’s come a considerable way since then.

Ten years later in 1747, Hannah Glasse renamed this dripping pudding to Yorkshire pudding in her book The Art of Cookery Made Plain Easy and the name stuck. Today we’re eating them every week, they can be found in most restaurants and are one of the nation’s favourite foods.

Yorkshire puddings are divine filled with rich gravy on the side of a Sunday dinner. But let’s think outside the box and use the Yorkshire in a more unusual way.

Roasted Vegetable Quiche with a Yorkshire Pudding Crust

One way to get an extra Yorkshire Pudding into your day would be this tasty recipe from Easy Cheesy Vegetarian. The recipe requires pre-cooked store bought Giant Yorkshires, but if you’re like me and prefer to make your own I’ve included the link to a Giant Yorkshire Pudding recipe here.

The smokey flavouring of the roasted vegetables mixed with the sweet roasted tomatoes makes this a delicious twist for the Yorkshire Pudding. The recipe is versatile as well, use whatever quiche recipe you favour and use your Giant Yorkshire as the crust. My only tip would be to watch the time in the oven so that your Yorkshire Pudding doesn’t get too crispy around the edges.

Coconut and Dark Chocolate Yorkshire Pudding (Popover)

Popovers are the American equivalent of the Yorkshire pudding. Nothing to stop us from making them here in the UK. These Dark Chocolate and Coconut Yorkshire Puddings from Doughmesstic may be the perfect answer to a new pudding to serve at a family dinner. You’ll certainly not be bringing just another box of mince pies or Christmas pudding. Made with a mixture of coconut flour and white flour these have a delicate taste of coconut right down to the batter. The recipe does suggest altering the amount of milk you add to the mixture to account for the porous nature of the coconut flour. This will keep your puddings from being too stodgy.

Savoury and Sweet

Ideal as a snack or a quick and easy breakfast, these apple and cheddar cheese filled Yorkshire puddings are to die for! Adults and kids alike will enjoy these bite sized treats, the apple adds a tangy sharpness to the rich cheesy filling. They even taste great alongside your Sunday dinner, just the same way as apple sauce goes so nicely with roasted pork, delicious! Take a look at Caroline’s Cooking for the recipe here.

Sweet Yorkshire Pudding with Caramelised Pears

Yorkshire puddings definitely aren’t reserved for just roast dinners any longer. We’ve highlighted some of the sweetest ways you can prepare the delicious Yorkshire pudding, making it into a true “pudding”. This recipe seems like something we’d find in a Michelin starred restaurant (in much smaller portions of course). It’s the beautiful Yorkshire pudding prepared with caramelised pears, blueberries, honey and ginger and served with ice cream. Food To Love has definitely given us the perfect after dinner treat.

If you prefer a classic take on a Yorkshire pudding, why not try out this giant sized recipe from BBC Good Food? You could also add a Yorkshire into your weekly meals. Full English in a Yorkshire, Curry in a Yorkshire, Bolognese in a Yorkshire anyone? The possibilities are endless.

Find the oven to help you create the perfect Yorkshire puddings on our website here.