An early networker, Grandma Abson knew there was much baking expertise out there to learn from, so right from her first days in service in the 1900, through to the 1970s, she was an avid collector of recipes.
In addition to her own collection, over her long life of baking, she took delight in garnering treasured favourites, all written on scraps of paper, from family and friends. These included classics such as Victoria sandwich, fruit scones, shortbread, apple pie and Bakewell pudding, as well as her own signature cakes and puddings such as paradise cake, Bridlington cake and railway pudding. Not to forget her own jams and chutneys.
And of course, she had her own recipe for Yorkshire pudding. Everyone knows about Yorkshire pudding, but who has heard of the ‘Yorkshire drop’? This recipe is based on Yorkshire pudding batter, but served up as a dessert with a fruit filling – usually plums – instead of a savoury dish. It’s a close relative of the mouthwatering French clafoutis.
Just as Grandma always made full use of seasonal food, you can vary the fruit to ‘drop in’ according to the season: rhubarb, plums, raspberries, blackberries and cherries are all perfect for this dish.
What you need
4½oz/125g plain flour (sieved)
2 eggs
1½oz/40g sugar
Pinch of salt
1/3 pint/200ml milk
Fruit as in season
How to bake
Make the batter as for Yorkshire pudding. Mix the eggs and flour with a wooden spoon. Mix in the sugar, salt and milk and beat to the consistency of cream. Let it stand for about half an hour or so and stir occasionally to let the air in.
Butter an ovenproof flan or pie dish and pour in the Yorkshire pudding batter mixture. ‘Drop’ in the fruit into the mixture and cook in a preheated moderately hot (Grandma called this temperature ‘quick’) oven for about 45 minutes (Mark 5, 190C, 375F). The batter will rise to perfection. See for yourself!
Tip: wash and dry the fruit carefully!
Other articles in this series:
You can read more about Grandma Abson’s life, her passion for baking and recipes HERE. Or head over to @potsaway on Instagram to check out how Meryl and Patrick are still cooking together apart in #lockdown.
