Christmas Menu ~ Faithfulness Farm

I thought I'd share our Christmas Menu today. Our older daughter (the nurse) is working an overnight shift on Christmas Eve and a Pm shift on Christmas day, so we've decided to have our Christmas Supper on Christmas Eve after church services. Even though it isn't our regular schedule for Christmas Supper it will be our traditional menu. Roasted Standing Rib Roast w/au jus & creamy horseradish, Yorkshire Pudding, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Romaine, Pear, Gorganzola & Walnut Salad and Cheesecake for dessert.

I am sharing the recipe for Yorkshire Pudding. My kids do not think roast beef is the same if you don't serve it with Yorkshire Pudding. If you've never eaten it before, it is very similar to Popovers but with a beefy twist. Very yummy!

The texture of a Yorkshire pudding is nothing like a pudding in the modern sense of the word. Not a custard, it's more like a cross between a soufflé and a cheese puff (without the cheese). The batter is like a very thin pancake batter, which you pour into a hot casserole dish over drippings from roast beef or prime rib. It then puffs up like a chef's hat, only to collapse soon after you remove it from the oven.
Given that it's loaded with beef drippings (read fat) or butter, or both, Yorkshire pudding is probably not the thing you want to eat regularly if you are watching your waistline. But for a once a year indulgence, served alongside a beef roast? Yummmmm.
Yorkshire pudding is traditionally made in one pan (even more traditionally in the pan catching the drippings from the roast above). You can also make a popover version with the same batter and drippings in a muffin tin or popover pan.

Yorkshire Pudding

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 eggs, beaten*
2-4 Tbsp of roast drippings
*If you double the recipe, add an extra egg to the batter.

Sift together the flour and salt in a large bowl. Form a well in the center. Add the milk, melted butter, and eggs and beat until the batter is completely smooth (no lumps), the consistency of whipping cream. Let sit for an hour. Heat oven to 450°F. Add roast drippings to a 9x12-inch pyrex or ceramic casserole dish, coating the bottom of the dish. Heat the dish in the oven for 10 minutes. For a popover version you can use a popover pan or a muffin pan, putting at least a teaspoon of drippings in the bottom of each well, and place in oven for just a couple minutes. Carefully pour the batter into the pan (or the wells of muffin/popover pans, filling just 1/3 full), once the pan is hot. Cook for 15 minutes at 450°F, then reduce the heat to 350°F and cook for 15 to 20 more minutes, until puffy and golden brown. Cut into squares to serve. Serves 6.