In the lead up to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Sept. 19, Newsweek reported that projections for people watching around the world was clocking in at over four billion.
I have to admit that despite my general lack of interest in the Royal Family, I did tune in for just a bit, wanting to see a smidgeon of the display.
That passing interest most definitely came into play as I decided what new recipe to try this week and landed on what I consider a quintessential British dish: crumpets.
I’ve never had a crumpet before, so I figured it was high time to give them a shot, and they were absolutely delicious. Really, they’re the Brits’ answer to the pancake, and I can totally see why they would be great with a cup of tea.
The recipe I tried comes from the blog “RecipeTin Eats.” I recommend giving the site a visit, since the author’s videos always feature her adorable golden retriever, Dozer. You can find the original post for this recipe at https://www.recipetineats.com/crumpet-recipe/. I didn’t change anything in the ingredients outside of increasing the amount of yeast, and I decided to use a little bit of a different cooking method.
Crumpets
Ingredients
- 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) yeast instant or active dry
- 1 1/2 tablespoons warm water
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 to 3 tablespoons butter for cooking
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast with one and one-half tablespoons warm water and stir to combine.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, water and salt for two minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the yeast, sugar and baking powder and whisk for another minute. It will be a loose batter.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and set it in a warm spot for 30 minutes or until the top of the batter is super bubbly.
- To cook the crumpets, either use a small non-stick skillet (I have one that is about four inches in diameter that I used), three- to four-inch metal rings or three- to four-inch sturdy rings made of aluminum foil. If using rings or foil, grease the inside of them with butter. For the skillet, brush it with butter when it’s preheated. (If you have a larger skillet, you can always cut your crumpets into halves or quarters, too. Don’t let equipment keep you from trying these.)
- To use the rings, brush a large skillet with butter and place the rings inside. Heat the skillet to medium heat. Once it’s hot, pour about 1/4 cup of batter into each ring.
- For a small skillet, heat it over medium heat and just pour the batter right in. You’ll want it about one centimeter deep.
- Let the crumpets cook for about one to one and one-half minutes. You’ll notice bubbles starting to form on the surface. You’ll know it’s time to flip the crumpet with the top looks mostly dry.
- Flip the crumpet over to brown it lightly, and then remove the crumpet from the heat and transfer to a plate or cooling rack.
- Continue until all the batter is used.
- When the crumpets are cooled, serve them by popping them in the toaster, and then slather the bubbly side with plenty of butter and serve with honey or your favorite jam. Store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Like I said, these were very much pancake-like, although they puffed up quite a bit more. The recipe only made about one-half dozen of these, so if you’re looking for a week’s worth of crumpets for breakfast or for your next fancy tea party, you’ll want to double or triple the recipe.
I ate mine in the traditional way, with honey squeezed over top, and they were really good. I’m certain my tiny nod to the monarchy wasn’t much of a fitting tribute, but it sure was a delicious one.
This piece first appeared in print on Sept. 22, 2022.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.