Tiny versions of a British classic, these Mini Toad in the Holes are great as a side dish to a roast dinner or as a main course in their own right, with a few veggies on the side.
So, did you watch The Great British Bake Off last night? What do you think? Did they choose the right winner? And more to the point, how sad are you feeling about the fact that that was the last Bake Off in its present format? I am gutted!!
One of my favourite weeks on Bake Off this year was batter week – it was wonderfully different, and I especially liked the challenge that was set to the contestants of making Yorkshire puddings with savoury fillings, not least because it was fascinating to see how a simple dish could cause such experienced and clever bakers so many problems…I’m sure generations of Yorkshire people were laughing their socks off at that particular episode!
One thing I also found interesting is quite how different the recipes for Yorkshire puddings can be – the same quantity of flour can have wildly different quantities of milk and/or eggs and produce very different style Yorkshire puddings.
Lots of people, I notice, prefer quite a puffy, crispy Yorkshire, but I must confess: I don’t really like this style. I was brought up on Yorkshires that were flatter and stodgier and that’s the way I like them – am I on my own here? Please tell me I am not!! My Yorkies have a much greater quantity of flour to milk/egg ratio, which makes them denser but also softer and squidgier in the middle whilst being a little bit crisp on the outside, which I really love.
I have shared my recipe for Yorkshire puddings before – it’s actually an adapted version of a Jamie Oliver recipe (so I can’t be entirely on my own with the soft and squidgy thing) and I love it because it doesn’t involve any measuring or any weighing – just a cup that is roughly 200ml. The recipe is one cup of flour, one cup of milk, one egg, one pinch of salt, mix and bake in a hot oven. Easy Peasy! I love doing my Yorkshires in a mini muffin tin – this means everyone gets lots of mini Yorkshire puddings, rather than one or two big ones, they are also less prone to going wrong…and the kids love them!
However, what I haven’t shared before is my recipe for Mini Toad in the Holes, which are made in almost exactly the same way, except I add a cocktail sausage into the oil as it heats up in the oven, then pour the batter over the top when the oil is smoking hot. If you want a slightly neater finish you could take the sausages out, pour the batter in, then pop the sausages back on top…but that’s way to faffy for me and I like the slightly more rustic effect you get from just chucking the batter in on top of the sausages and hoping for the best.
As you can imagine these are hugely popular with my children and are obviously brilliant as part of a roast dinner – either have them as an extra to a roast or eat them as the main course in their own right and then all you need to do is serve with a few veggies, making a very simple meal. They would also make a rather fun canape.
If you want to make these Mini Toad in the Holes veggie, you can easily use veggie cocktail sausages (I believe Quorn make some), or cut up large veggie sausages into small chunks.
If you like this recipe…
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Mini Toad in the Holes
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 18 uncooked cocktail sausages (I used Tesco Finest)
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark7 / 425F.
- Get 2 cupcake trays (mini cupcake size) and put a small drizzle of olive oil in 18 of the holes and add a mini sausage to each hole.
- When the oven is at temperature. Put the two trays into the oven for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl or jug (I find a jug easier, then I can just pour the batter into the trays) using a balloon whisk or an electric whisk, or even a fork will do, until you have a smooth batter.
- After the sausages have been in the oven for 10 minutes, remove the trays and quickly (and I mean quickly). Fill each hole ⅔ full with the Yorkshire pudding batter and return the trays back to the oven as quick as possible.
- Cook for a further 10 minutes until puffed up and golden. N.B. Don’t open the oven door while they are cooking! Don’t even think about it!
Notes
- The cup I use is 200ml.
- A standard US cup is 237ml, so if you are using a standard US cup to measure, just use slightly less than a cup of milk and flour for this recipe. (However, don't worry too much about getting it perfect - this recipe is very forgiving!)
- Suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Chris Culver says
I’m definitely with you on the preference for stodgy Yorkshires. My daughter in law is from Yorkshire so for years I would only refer to my offering as ‘batter puddings!’ but everybody I feed (including the Yorkshire woman) seem to like them!
Eb Gargano says
Haha – I’m glad I’m not alone…it was what I was brought up on and I am consequently always so disappointed when I have Yorkshires at a pub and they are all crispy and dry! Much prefer my squidgy, stodgy homemade ones!! Eb x
Mandy says
Oh what a good idea Eb! My kids would absolutely love these – served on their own with no veg at all on the side this would be pretty much their perfect meal!! Thanks for sharing with #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Haha – now you just have to work out how to sneak some veg into them…pureed broccoli and cauliflower in the batter maybe? 😉 Eb x
Jenny Walters says
I think these are brilliant.I think they would be perfect finger food at Xmas parties too.Id never thought of it before.So easy to batch bake.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jenny – you are so right, they would make excellent finger food at Christmas parties and so easy to make! Thanks for your kind comments 🙂 Eb x
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
Ooh I looove Yorkshires. They’re just so delicious aren’t they and lend themselves to a host of different sizes. Grandma always seemed to bake hers in a large roasting tin after the joint had finished cooking as it rested. They were soooo good.
Angela x
Eb Gargano says
Haha – yes you are right about the sizes. My Dad often makes Yorkshires in the sort of tin you would normally cook a flan or tart. It uses double the mixture of a normal Yorkshire and has the added advantage that you can put all your dinner inside the pudding, should you wish to! I have to say I prefer the little ones, though, as I think you get the best ratio of crispyness to squidgyness. Plus the kids think they are brilliant!! Eb x
ema says
what a lovely idea – so sweet 🙂 #cookblogshare
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Ema 🙂
Choclette says
I’m gutted the GBBO has ended, for ended it surely has. I’m not impressed by the company doing the dirty on the BBC. Love the idea of mini toad in the holes, they look fab. I’m not very good at making Yorkshires, I think it’s because I insist on using wholemeal flour!
Eb Gargano says
Me too! I want to believe it will be just as good on C4 but I’m not convinced. I just can’t imagine it without Mel, Sue and Mary. Ooooh I’d never thought about making Yorkshires with wholemeal flour…not sure why, it’s such an obvious thing to do! I might have to have a go at that next time. See if I can have better luck than you. I do find the smaller I make them, the more chance I have that they will ‘work’. Thanks for your kind comments 🙂 Eb x
Charlotte Oates says
I’m on the puffy and crisp side – sorry (although they have got to be a little bit stodgy at the bottom).
I love these little mini toad in the holes, the perfect size for little ones to enjoy.
Eb Gargano says
Haha – there is definitely a huge variation in styles and recipes. I think which kind you prefer has a lot to do with the kind of Yorkshires you had as a child. Ours were always stodgy and squidgy!! These ones are a great size for kids…but they are nice for adults too as you can have quite a few without feeling too naughty!! Thanks for your kind comments 🙂 Eb x
Priya says
I’ve got some mini sausages in my shopping for the weekend to make these with my roast on Sunday! 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Yey! So pleased you like the recipe…love to know how you get on 🙂 Eb x
Margaret Main says
Can you serve these cold for a party?
Eb Gargano says
You definitely could, but I think they are nicer served hot. Eb 🙂
Midge @ Peachicks' Bakery says
LOVE THESE! Yorkies are an essential part of every single roast we have and there must be extras for packed lunches the next day! These would be perfect for lunchboxes! Off to make some Peachick safe ones!
Thanks for sharing #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Midge – great idea to include them in packed lunches! Eb x