Tea Time ( mom)
Sarah called me last week and asked if I could help her make crumpets for a tea party she had planned with her friends.  I know that we had talked about having one, but we have never planned it.  So she came over, all dressed up, and we made crumpets.  It turns out that they are similar to pancakes only with yeast in them. Here is the recipe:
Crumpets
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
 1/4 cup warm water for dissolving the yeast
1 1/4 cups warm milk
4-6 3 inch rings, cookie cutters or crumpet molds.  Wide mouth canning rings work just fine.
cooking spray

1. Dissolve yeast into warm water with sugar.  Let proof. Whisk flour and salt in mixing bowl. Barely heat milk to warm.  After yeast has proofed, combine yeast and milk with flour and salt until smooth and thick.  Cover and let rise.  Stir down.
2.Spray a skillet and the metal rings with cooling spray.  Heat skillet over medium heat, and place metal rings on the skillet and let them heat up.  Spoon batter into the rings filling only half way.  Let the crumpets cook until bottoms are browned.  the tops appear nearly dry and popped bubbles appear on top, about 5 minutes. Flip and remove the rings from around the crumpets.  Cook until browned about 1 to 2 more minutes.  Repeat.  Keep warm in preheated oven until all crumpets are cooked.

These were so easy I though well maybe English muffins wouldn't be hard either.  So I looked up a recipe and they were so easy,  I wondered why I haven't been making them on a regular basis.  They were good.
So here is the recipe for the English muffins:

English muffins
1 cup milk, warmed to room temp.
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup melted shortening.
6 cups or so of flour
1 tsp. salt
corn meal

1. Warm the milk to room temp.  Stir in sugar until dissolved and set aside to cool.  Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Proof about 10 minutes.
2.  In a large bowl, combine milk, yeast shortening and 3 cups of flour.  Beat until smooth.  Add salt and enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.  Knead.  Place in an oiled bowl and cover to let rise about an hour.
3. Punch down.  Roll out to 1/2 in thick. Make sure you roll it out thin enough. Cut with round cutter.  Dip top and bottom in cornmeal and set on a pan lined with waxed paper to rise.  Cover and let rise 1/2 hour.
4. Heat greased griddle to medium heat, about 350.  Cook muffins on griddle about 10 minutes on each side. You can keep warm in the oven if you plan to eat them right away or allow them to cool for storage. Split with a fork and toast to eat.

Yummy!