Gran's Yorkshire Pudding Batter (for Toad in the Hole)

Author Notes

Gran became an expert in making the most out of a few ingredients and stretching cheap cuts of meat into extravagant meals. Toad-in-the-hole was one of those meals, and of course, like many things, it stemmed from her Yorkshire pudding batter. The first time I saw my gran pull toad-in-the-hole out of the oven, I remember how wide my eyes were, dazzled by the hugely puffed and golden casserole dish with sausages poking out like turtle heads reaching out of their shells. It was a meal fit for a crowd, and a special treat on a Sunday (a day traditionally reserved for roasts in Britain). All everyone wanted was a corner piece of the casserole, a crispy edge, holding onto a fatty pork sausage with more eggy-soft, spongy Yorkshire pudding underneath. Comfort food at its finest. —Miranda Keyes

Test Kitchen Notes

"Toad in the hole" may not be the most appetizing or appealing recipe name we've ever heard of—though it is one of the most fun—but not only is this treat hearty, delicious, and fun to make, you don't need any fancy ingredients, and you'll most definitely impress when you pull the Yorkshire puddings out of the oven. Some eggs, milk, flour, and sausages can go a long way. Whether you make the Yorkshire puddings on their own, or pour the batter around the sausages to make the "toads," you really can't go wrong either way. Get the kids involved, and everyone will soon fall in love with this British classic. Serve with mashed potatoes, gravy, and steamed vegetables alongside.

Miranda Keyes, who developed this recipe, wrote about the history of the dish in her own family, which could become part of yours too: "It took a few years for my mum and I to get Gran's Yorkshire puddings consistently perfect. When they come out just right, we ohh and ahh at their massive size and burnished tops—they’re a sight to behold. But when I started to make them on my own, years later, I realized they weren’t as easy as they looked. Sometimes they deflated, didn’t rise, or became soggy and underbaked. As much as I watched my gran cook growing up, I never had a solid, written recipe for her Yorkshire puddings. But like many techniques and classic dishes, I found that each time I made them they got better and better, requiring patience, practice, research, and many phone calls with my mum."

Featured in: Recreating Gran's Sunday Recipes (& Other Things She Never Wrote Down). —The Editors