Shhhh, I have a guilty secret! I think that calories don’t count when I am eating with friends! That is why I made these spiced crumpets.
There is nothing nicer than sneaking out of the office for a quick bite to eat with a friend, or meeting someone for tea. I even love inviting friends to my house to indulge in a cup of coffee. These treat times with friends always include calories. Sometimes they are healthy ones when I order a soup for lunch, or a salad or even a plate of scrambled eggs. But sometimes, I just have to have something sweet. And I am convinced that those sweet calories, don’t count at all if shared. I always want to try something different and love that I can experiment on my friends. The time we are spending together has more to do with the conversation than with anything else. But, I never want the treat to feature as second best; I want it to be the star of the day. When I have friends over for afternoon tea, I don’t really want to have spent time slaving over what I serve. My kettle has a keep warm function so I can get the water ready for whichever hot drink my friend and I choose, and I want the treat to be mostly ready. To this end, I always have the base of a crumpet batter prepared and ready to be turned into something sweet. The crumpet mixture can be made in advance when you have time and it keeps really well in a sealed container. All you have to do is add the wet ingredients and in as long as it takes for your pan to heat up, you can have the batter mixed and ready to go. When I do have the time, I can experiment with the batter, as I have done for you today.
Is there an attitude to food you have that changes when you are with friends?
Spiced Crumpets
Ingredients
For the crumpet mix:
- 500 mls flour
- 25 mls baking powder
- 5 mls bicarbonate of soda
- 2.5 mls salt
- 30 mls Canderel Yellow 0%
For the crumpet batter:
- 1 egg
- 250 mls milk
- 250 mls crumpet mix
- 15 g butter melted
For the spiced dried fruit:
- 125 mls white wine
- 50 g dried fruit finely chopped
- 1 star anise
Method
- For the crumpet mix:
- Mix together all the ingredients and store in a sealed container for future use
- For the crumpet batter:
- Whisk the egg until lightly beaten
- Add the milk, and whisk together
- Add to the crumpet mix
- Add the butter and whisk in properly to ensure you have no lumps
- For the spiced dried fruit:
- Bring the wine to a boil
- Add the dried fruit and the star anise
- Simmer for 10 minutes
- Drain and set aside
- To make the crumpets:
- Heat a flat griddle pan and add a small amount of butter
- Using a 30ml measuring spoon – half fill with batter
- Place a small amount of the chopped dried fruit into the spoon
- Fill to the brim with batter
- Pour the batter onto the griddle
- Turn once when the bubbles appear
- Serve hot, with some jam and/or cream
Click on the links for conversions and notes.
Disclosure: This post was commissioned and paid for in conjunction with the Canderel Yellow “What’s Your Guilty Food Secret?” Competition. This post in line with my blogging policy.
I’m coming to your house for afternoon tea, they look wonderful 🙂
You are welcome anytime!
Mmmm these look delish my friend!!! And I share yet another secret with you 😉
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thank you CCU! Have a super rest of your day 🙂
Those crumpets look delightful and what a clever idea to keep a container of batter ready!
When I lived in England my special treat was always making scones and enjoying it with strawberry jam and clotted cream. And my eating habits have not changed: I eat whatever I enjoy, butter, cream, chocolate, sugar, as long as it is not convenience food or otherwise manipulated.
I love proper Devon scones and clotted cream – YUM! It is good to eat what you enjoy 🙂
Wow! Homemade crumpets!!!! Your friends are very lucky!!!!
you can come and visit!
I can see these nudged up against some strawberry compote!
me too! I think I had better make some more 🙂
Oh I feel the same way. But since I don’t go out with friends all THAT often, the calories probably don’t really make a difference in the scheme of things! Those crumpets look delicious by the way.
thanks Joanne 🙂
You can’t get good crumpets here, so it’s great to see this recipe!
I am sure these will be much appreciated then 🙂
A nice bit of crumpet, Tandy? These should go down well. 😉 When I’m dining with friends and family, I don’t even think about calories. It takes away from the enjoyment of the moment.
I love that saying AD 😉 Sometimes you have had meals where I know the calories don’t count 🙂
I agree, calories with friends are free! As are dessert calories…that’s the way it works, right?
Amy, you are 100% correct!
Oh, they remind me of home. We always had crumpets for Sunday tea with melted cheese or honey. I will be giving these a go.
and I need to try melted cheese on my next batch 🙂
Such pretty crumpets and I love that they can be prepared ahead of time and just popped on to cook for friends. You made me smile, I think the same thing when sharing desserts.. oh, just a spoonful doesn’t count:) xo Smidge
or the next spoonful either Smidge xox
They look delicious,I should give them a try ,but I love waffle with ice
cream 😀
waffles with ice cream are also good!
Oh, I haven’t made crumpets for the longest time! Thanks for the reminder Tandy and I absolutely agree, calories definitely don’t count when you are with friends!
🙂 Mandy
absolutely, the don’t count 🙂
I never tasted crumpet’s before but must make these lovely beauties! 🙂
I am sure you will love them 🙂
Of course those calories don’t count! Those crumpets are amazing looking!
thank you Tammy 🙂
LOL, I have just read: “Calories don’t count when I am eating friends!”… nooooo!
LOL, that is soooooo funny 🙂