Recipe: Crumpets

Crumpets (English)

To make about 10 crumpets

1 pkg. or cake of active dry or compressed yeast

½ t sugar

2 T lukewarm water (110° to 115° )

1 C all-purpose flour

¼ t salt

½ C milk

1 egg

5 T butter cut into ¼-inch bits

NOTE: To make traditional English crumpets, you will need five or six 3-inch round flan rings or open-topped cookie cutters. Substitute molds easily can be made, if necessary, by removing the tops and bottoms from five or six tin cans that are 3 inches in diameter and 1 to 2 inches tall, such as ordinary tuna cans.

In a small, shallow bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the 2 T of lukewarm water and let them stand for 2 or 3 minutes. Then stir them together to dissolve the yeast completely. Set the bowl in a warm, draft-free place, such as an unlighted oven, for 4 or 5 minutes, or until the yeast bubbles up and the mixture almost doubles in volume.

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in the yeast mixture and the milk, and drop in the egg. Beat vigorously with a large spoon, then add 1 T of the butter and beat until a smooth soft batter is formed. Drape a towel loosely over the bowl and set it aside in a warm draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until the batter has doubled in volume.

In a small pan, clarify the remaining 4 T of butter by melting it slowly without letting it brown. Skim off the surface foam and spoon the clear butter into a bowl, discarding the milky solids at the bottom of the pan. With a pastry brush, coat the bottom of a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet and the inside surfaces of the flan rings or cookie cutters or cans with about half the clarified butter.

Arrange the rings in the skillet and place the pan over moderate heat. For each crumpet, drop about 1 T of batter into each ring. The batter will immediately spread out and fill the ring. When the crumpets begin to bubble and their bottoms turn a light brown remove the rings. Turn the crumpets over with a wide spatula and cook for another minute or so to brown them on the other side. Transfer the crumpets to a heated serving plate and cover with foil to keep them warm while you coat the skillet and rings with the rest of the clarified butter and cook the remaining batter.

Crumpets are traditionally served at breakfast and at afternoon tea. Accompany them with unsalted butter, syrups and your choice of jams, jellies or marmalades.