Crumpets from The Secret Garden

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We recently went to see the musical adaptation of The Secret Garden, a century-old book by Frances Hodgson Burnett. The tale is based upon orphaned Mary who comes to live with her wealthy uncle in England where she finds all kinds of mysterious secrets including a garden. I enjoyed it so much I bought the book and was delighted when I saw that Burnett had included a recipe for crumpets; crumpets play a small role in the first afternoon tea in the book.

Crumpets are different from other muffins in that they are made from a batter rather than a dough. They were first introduced in England in the 17^th century and remain popular today. Their shape comes from being cooked in a ring on a griddle and are usually eaten with butter or other sweet or savory toppings. They are easy to make by following Burnett’s directions.

You will need:

¼ cup of water

½ cup of milk

½ ounce of fresh yeast – or 1 teaspoon of active dry yeast and ½ teaspoon of sugar

1 egg

1 ½ cups of flour

¼ teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of butter

1, Mix the water and milk in a saucepan, set it over medium heat, and heat the mixture until it is lukewarm (110 – 115 degrees F)

2. Remove the pan from the heat and crumble in the fresh yeast, stirring it until it dissolves. If you are using dry yeast, sprinkle it and the sugar into the warm milk and set aside for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble.

3. Pour the yeast mixture into a large mixing bowl and stir in the egg, flour, and salt. Beat the mixture heartily with a wooden spoon until it is smooth. The more you beat it, the more holes will form in the finished crumpets.

4. Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and set the mixture aside in a warm place for about 1 ½ hours, or until it has doubled in bulk.

5. When the mixture is ready, heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter on the griddle and set as many muffin rings on the griddle as will fit comfortably.

6. Drop a spoonful of batter into each ring. When bubbles form and break on top – and the bottoms are golden brown – take the muffin rings off using oven mitts. Slip a spatula under each crumpet, turn it, and cook it briefly on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Makes 12 crumpets.

Crumpets are a great for breakfast, brunch, tea, or an afternoon snack. I hope you will try them. Enjoy!