As a Yorkshire man from a farm family on the Moors of N Yorks (Heartbeat
country!) Yorkshire pudding was served seperately before the meal and was
NOT a light fluffy creation - it was quite heavy, crisp topped and designed
to fill us so we would not eat too much meat! Grandma cooked it in the oven
under the roast which was on a rack and allowed to drip down into the
pudding pan.

However - that said - as a restaurant owner I produced about 100 of the
light fluffy variety preferred today every Sunday at lunch time. Here's the
very best NO Fail I have ever found

Remember 2 & 1 & 1.....2 eggs, 1cup flour, 1cup milk. The secret is really
that they MUST all be at room temperature, set them on the kitchen counter
and let them site 3/4 hours.

When you are ready - preheat the oven to 450F. Set the top shelf quite high
(I use the second rack down). Whisk the eggs and add the milk and whisk.
Add the flour all at once and beat until the lumps are gone. Heat your pans
with a little oil in them either in the oven or on top of the stove (at home
we usually use an 8" square pan and do one big pudding). When the oven is
hot and the fat is just smoking in your pans add the batter mix. This will
make 16 muffin pans or one 8" square.

Get the pans into the oven quickly to avoid losing heat and cook for 30
minutes - DO NOT PEEK - they will puff and crisp at the top just as they
"should"

For "Toad in the Hole" we use the 8" square pan and cook a few good sausages
blotting them free of fat. Cut into bite sized chunks they are added to the
pan immediately after the Batter mix. I always cook a finely chopped onion
in the fat when I do Toad before I dump the batter and sausages in. Serve
with mashed spuds and mushie peas !

Toad can also be done with white fish or any meat - try it with Spam if you
have to use a canned meat...it makes it very tasty.

Enjoy Country Fayre Kitchen Peter