Spelt-flour Yorkshire Puddings

I wanted something tasty and simple to make for gouter and came across Yorkshire pudding in Mary McCartney's vegetarian cookbook Food. It doesn't look anything like what we Americans would think of as pudding. It's a light bread-like almost pastry, that is normally eaten as a savory food with meat. I wanted it for a sweet treat so I added just a bit of cinnamon and poured maple syrup on top. The effect was truly tasty, reminiscent of french toast. Watching these guys bake was fun even for me. As they grew big Jude jumped up and down and giggled at how "ginomous" they were getting.

We have started to phase out wheat flour, because more and more studies are showing that wheat in general, has a lot of negative effects on the human body. So for this recipe I used spelt flour instead of wheat. It will be an adventure to try other grains and ancient grains like amaranth, buckwheat, sorghum, tapioca, teff and almond for baking. I also used coconut oil because it does not break down and turn rancid in high heat. My first attempt with these puddings was successful and I am definitely going to make them again.

Yorkshire Puddings (adapted from Food by Mary McCartney)

Ingredients
muffin tin
3/4 cup spelt flour
pinch Himalayan salt
2 large, organic free-range eggs
1 1/4 cups full fat, vat-pasturized, non-homogenized, organic, jersey cow milk
unrefined organic extra-virgin coconut oil (in liquid form, it melts by itself around 76 degrees)
........if desired 1/2 teaspoon organic cinnamon power

Method
Sift the flour into a medium-sized mixing bowl and add a pinch of salt. Crack the eggs in and whisk together with the flour, then gradually pour in the milk, stirring constantly. (I ended up adding a couple tablespoons more of flour). Beat all the ingredients together until the batter is the consistency of cream. (No lumps). Refrigerate the batter for 30 minutes. (I looked it up and it is up for debate whether refrigeration and rest is necessary, I say it depends on how much time you have before you want to eat them.) 

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. (I say this now because if you refrigerate the batter it seems a waste to keep the oven on this high for 30 min.)
Pour 1 teaspoon of oil into the bottom of each of the wells of the muffin tin (or about 1 cm of oil per well). Put the muffin tin in the oven to heat the oil until it's very hot -- almost smoking hot (about 4 minutes).

Pour the batter into a measuring cup with a spout and then pour it equally into each well in the tin (you should hear it sizzle and it should bubble). Use a spoon to collect any leaky batter from the measuring cup in between wells. Return the tin to the oven and bake the puddings for 20-25 minutes, until they have risen and are deep golden brown. Pour a bit of maple syrup on each pudding if desired.


Jamie Oliver did a great youtube video on how to properly bake these puddings. View it here too see what you are getting into. Enjoy! xo, Yana.