Soft, pillowy whole wheat crumpets slathered with strawberry balsamic jam… an absolutely perfect way to start your day!
Have you ever had a crumpet? If not, you’re really missing out!
Crumpets are kind of like English muffins – bready, craggy, and best when lightly toasted – but they’re softer, spongier (in a good way!), and have a more delicate flavor. Smothered with a pat of butter and some homemade jam, they’re just about perfect.
I always throw a package in my cart when I see them at the grocery store, but this weekend I decided to make my own. All I can say is wow. Eating a homemade crumpet after only ever tasting the packaged ones… well, it’s kind of like comparing a homemade cookie to a store-bought one. They’re both tasty, but they’re worlds apart. These crumpets are kind of insanely good. Luckily, they’re also pretty easy to make! (Seriously, if you can make pancakes you can make these.)
Let’s back up though, because I know you’re all wondering why the heck I would ever even think to make something like crumpets. Like most crazy ideas, it all started on facebook: my friend Carrie (Bakeaholic Mama) thought that we should do something to celebrate the return of Downton Abbey. So, in honor of tonight’s premiere, we decided to post some English recipes and we’ll be tweeting tonight using the hashtag #DowntonBlogParty. Come join the fun! (We also have a little giveaway; you can find out more at the end of this post.)
So…crumpets? It’s January 5. Honestly, it was the only English recipe I felt like making/eating that isn’t a total diet-buster. (Not that I’m on a diet, but I didn’t think it would be appropriate for my second post of the year to include lard.)
Since homemade crumpets seemed to require something a little fussier than the half used jar of jelly that’s been in the back of my fridge for months, I decided to make a quick strawberry balsamic jam to go along with them. Strawberries might not be in season right now, but cooking them down really brings out their flavor. A splash of balsamic vinegar adds depth and makes the jam absolutely irresistible.
Crumpets with Strawberry Balsamic Jam
Ingredients
For the Crumpets:
- 1 cup skim milk
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 packet 0.25 ounces dry active yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 8 ounces Gold Medal® white whole wheat flour about 2 cups sifted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
For the Strawberry Balsamic Jam:
- 1 cup chopped strawberries
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
To make the Crumpets:
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and water over low heat until warm to the touch. Remove from heat and stir in the yeast and sugar. Let sit 10-15 minutes (you should see some small bubbles start to form and the mixture might look frothy.)
- Sift together the flour and salt. Slowly stir into the wet ingredients; mix until a smooth, pasty batter forms (it should be about the consistency of brownie batter.) Cover and let sit in a warm place for 1 hour.
- Spray the inside of your rings (see note) with oil or cooking spray. Grease a nonstick griddle or similar wide-bottomed pan and set over medium/low heat. Place your rings in the skillet; spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each ring. Cook for 5 minutes – the top of the crumpets should look dry and be flecked with bubbles. Remove rings; flip crumpets and cook 1 minute on the other side.
- Serve warm, preferably with butter and jam.
To make the Strawberry Balsamic Jam:
- Combine the strawberries, sugar, and balsamic vinegar in a shallow, wide-bottomed pan set over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly until the jam is thick, syrupy, and very fragrant – about 10 minutes. Let cool.
- Yields about 3/4 cup jam.
Notes
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Be sure to check out what everyone else brought to the party!
- A Brown Table – Black Peppercorn and Orange Steamed Pudding
- Bakeaholic Mama – Raspberry Meringue Pudding
- Cooking with Books – Strawberry Vanilla Bean Eton Mess
- Healthy Seasonal Recipes – Mini Beef Wellington Pot Pies
- Suzy Freaking Homemaker – Cranberry Orange Scones
- The Girly Girl Cooks – Crepes Islandaise
- The Realistic Nutritionist – Yorkshire Pudding
Love Downton as much as we do? Use the widget below to enter to a win a copy of The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook and a “Keep Calm and Downton On” mug.
I went crazy and bought egg rings on Amazon- I have heard you can use a tuna can as well- you know, cut both ends off. This didn’t work for me as my darling husband couldn’t quite grasp that I was SAVING the cans and they kept disappearing. I do like my egg rings as they have a little handle to grasp with tongs and easily lift off the pan when it’s time. I am currently proofing another batch as they are quite popular at my house!
Hi, can you cook these the night before and store them in the fridge or cupboard for the morning? Thankyou
yes, definitely! They do taste best warm, but you can just pop the min the microwave for a few seconds or toast them like you would an English muffin (no need to cut in half though)
I love the crumpets and have been wanting to make some… Saw this recipe via facebook and just had to come and check it out… The pictures made me drool. Pinning.
I have heard that some people use mason jar lid rings for the rings to form the crumpets. I would think those would be easier to find at the store than English muffin rings.
I actually didn’t like how Mason rings worked (the “lip” gave me problems – put it on the bottom and the batter wasn’t all on the pan; put it on the top and it hindered the way they rose). I had good luck just making a round guide out of aluminum foil though!
No one tops Dame Maggie Smith. And I want these crumpets!
I’m so mad at myself for dropping the ball on my Downton Abbey watching. The strawberry balsamic jam looks so amazing!
it’s good they are healthier because i would put clotted cream on them!
Go for it! It’s all about balance. 🙂