High Tea English "Crumpets" + GLUTEN-FREE High Tea English Crumpets + Assorted Sweet & Savory Butters + Quickest Fruit Jam + Proper Tea
High Tea English "Crumpets"
Fancy a cuppa? In other words, would you like a cup of tea? High Tea is a tradition that has evolved from being humble to fancy, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to experience. Have you?? Getting dressed up, eating elegant finger foods, and drinking tea from bone china cups appeals most to my inner seven-year-old. Tea in Great Britain is a way of life. Even though afternoon tea has been a quintessential daily ritual for the British since the mid-1800s, drinking tea this way was not the norm for every household. High tea, in particular, was not originally a delicate affair. People who worked manual labor jobs couldn’t take time out to be served a cup of afternoon tea and biscuits. Their tea break came at the end of a long workday. It helped to perk up their energy levels and fill their stomachs before dinnertime, which was typically in the evening around 8 pm. They called it “high,” probably because they sat at higher kitchen tables rather than the low tables and comfortable chairs of the upper class. It’s so great that kids can replicate the Quickest Fruit Jam and Assorted Sweet and Savory Butters recipes free-form at home, even without a recipe. Although the crumpets require a recipe, the jam and butters are endlessly adaptable with whatever is in the fridge and pantry, with no cooking required. Serve with Proper Tea and enjoy creating your very own High Tea!
Happy & Healthy Cooking,
Shopping List
- FRESH OR FROZEN
- 1/2 to 1 C fresh or frozen berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, or a combination!)
- DAIRY
- 1 stick or 1/2 C butter (see suggested Sweet & Savory Add-ins listed below)
- 1 1/2 C whole milk **(see allergy subs below)**
- PANTRY
- 1 T or 1 packet active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 T granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 C all-purpose flour **(see Gluten-Free Crumpets ingredients below)**
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 C sparkling water
- butter or oil to grease pan **
- 4 T + 1 tsp granulated sugar or honey + more to taste
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 decaf black tea bags (English Breakfast or Earl Grey are great!)
- HAVE ON HAND
- 3 C water
- SWEET BUTTER ADD-INS: (try one or more combos or make up your own) **(omit any options below if allergies present)**
- brown sugar + cinnamon or pumpkin spice
- orange zest + dried cranberries
- pure unsweetened cocoa powder + more sugar + peppermint extract or minced fresh mint
- honey + pure vanilla extract
- strawberries + orange zest
- SAVORY BUTTER ADD-INS: (try one or more combos or make up your own) **(omit any options below if allergies present)**
- fresh chives + parsley + lemon zest
- Parmesan cheese + fresh basil + fresh sweet corn
- lemon + capers
- chopped tomato + basil
- GLUTEN-FREE HIGH TEA ENGLISH CRUMPETS
- 1 C whole milk + more as needed **(see allergy subs below)**
- 1 T or 1 packet active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 2 T granulated sugar
- 1 egg **(see allergy subs below)**
- 1 1/2 C gluten-free/nut-free all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 C sparkling water
- butter or oil to grease pan **
Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills
- boil :
to cook a food in liquid heated to the point of gas bubbles and steam forming (boiling point is 212 F at sea level).
- grate :
to reduce food, like a carrot, to very small shreds or pieces of the same size by rubbing it on a tool with an outside surface that has holes with cutting edges (a grater).
- mash :
to reduce food, like potatoes or bananas, to a soft, pulpy state by beating or pressure.
- measure :
to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).
- mix :
to thoroughly combine two or more ingredients until uniform in texture.
- steep :
to soak a food, like tea, in water or other liquid so as to bring out its flavor.
- zest :
to scrape off the outer colored part of a citrus fruit's rind (skin or peel) using a metal tool with small sharp blades, such as a zester, microplane, or the small holes of a grater (avoid the "pith," the white, spongy lining of the rind that can be bitter).
Equipment Checklist
- Cutting board
- Kid-safe knife
- Dry measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Potato masher
- Medium saucepan
- Liquid measuring cup
- Spoon for stirring
- Bowls for mixing butters (2)
- Oven
- Muffin pan
- Saucepan (or heat-safe liquid measuring cup for microwave)
- Mixing bowls (2)
- Whisk
Ingredients
High Tea English "Crumpets"
- 1 C whole milk **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free milk)**
- 1 T or 1 packet active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 1 T granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 C all-purpose flour **(for GLUTEN ALLERGY follow Gluten-Free Crumpet recipe)**
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 C sparkling water
- butter or oil to grease pan **
GLUTEN-FREE High Tea English Crumpets
- 1 C whole milk + more as needed **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free milk)**
- 1 T or 1 packet active dry yeast or instant yeast
- 2 T granulated sugar
- 1 egg **(for EGG ALLERGY sub 1 1/2 tsp oil + 1 1/2 T water + 1 tsp baking powder)**
- 1 1/2 C gluten-free/nut-free all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 C sparkling water
- butter or oil to grease pan **
Assorted Sweet & Savory Butters
- Sweet Butter!
- 1/2 stick or 1/4 C butter, softened **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free butter)**
- 1 tsp or more granulated sugar or honey
- Suggested sweet add-ins: (try one or more combos or make up your own—omit any options below if allergies present)
- brown sugar + cinnamon or pumpkin spice
- orange zest + dried cranberries
- pure unsweetened cocoa powder + more sugar + peppermint extract or minced fresh mint
- honey + pure vanilla extract
- strawberries + orange zest
- Savory Butter!
- 1/2 stick or 1/4 C butter, softened **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free butter)**
- 1/4 tsp salt + more to taste
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
- Suggested savory add-ins: (try one or more combos or make up your own—omit any options below if allergies present)
- fresh chives + parsley + lemon zest
- Parmesan cheese + fresh basil + fresh sweet corn
- lemon + capers
- chopped tomato + basil
Quickest Fruit Jam
- 1/2 to 1 C fresh or frozen berries, thawed (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, or a combination!)
- 1 T granulated sugar or honey
- 1 small pinch salt
Proper Tea
- 3 C water
- 3 T granulated sugar or honey
- 3 decaf black tea bags (English Breakfast or Earl Grey are great!)
- 1/2 C whole milk **(for DAIRY ALLERGY sub dairy-free/nut-free milk)**
Food Allergen Substitutions
High Tea English "Crumpets"
- Dairy: Substitute dairy-free milk for whole milk.
- Gluten/Wheat: Follow Gluten-Free Crumpet recipe.
- Dairy/Soy: Use soy-free/nut-free oil to grease pan instead of butter.
GLUTEN-FREE High Tea English Crumpets
- Dairy: Substitute dairy-free/nut-free milk for whole milk.
- Egg: For 1 egg, substitute 1 1/2 tsp oil + 1 1/2 T water + 1 tsp baking powder.
- Dairy/Soy: Use soy-free/nut-free oil to grease pan instead of butter.
Assorted Sweet & Savory Butters
- Dairy: Substitute dairy-free/nut-free butter.
- Various: Omit any sweet or savory butter add-ins if allergies are present.
Proper Tea
- Dairy: Substitute dairy-free/nut-free milk.
Instructions
High Tea English "Crumpets"
heat + whisk + rest
Heat 1 cup of milk until it is lukewarm. Measure and add 1 tablespoon or 1 packet yeast to the milk in a mixing bowl. Measure and add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the bowl and whisk. Let rest for about 10 minutes.
scrumptious science
Even though yeast looks like large grains of sand, it is actually a living organism. Yeast is a label broadly used to describe about 1,500 different kinds of fungi. This means that yeast makes up about one percent of the fungus you would come across in the world. The type we are using today is called active dry yeast. It means that the yeast is alive but sleeping in its container. To "wake up" the yeast, you will need to feed it its favorite breakfast: sugar! Once the yeast begins eating the sugar, it creates a byproduct: carbon dioxide. (I like to think of the yeast as burping little, itty bitty burps from eating the sugar too fast!) This carbon dioxide will later be trapped inside the crumpets dough you are creating in this recipe, which is super important for making a light, fluffy texture.
grease + preheat
Generously grease a muffin pan with butter or oil. Place the pan in your oven and preheat the oven to 350 F.
add + mix + rest
To a separate mixing bowl, add 1 1/4 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt, then add to the milk mixture until well combined. Next, mix 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 cup sparkling water, and add to your batter. Mix one more time, then let rest at room temp for at least 20 minutes or until the batter doubles in size. Meanwhile, you can make Quickest Fruit Jam if you would like.
pour + bake + toast
Carefully remove empty hot muffin pan from the oven, then pour batter halfway up each well. Bake the Crumpets for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are cooked through. Meanwhile, you can mix up Assorted Sweet and Savory Butters if you would like. Once the Crumpets have baked, set your oven to "broil" and let the tops toast to a golden brown. Careful! They will toast fast and can burn easily. Serve warm with Assorted Sweet and Savory Butters, Quickest Fruit Jam, and cups of Proper Tea!
GLUTEN-FREE High Tea English Crumpets
heat + whisk + rest
Heat 1 cup of milk in a saucepan (or microwave) until it is lukewarm. Measure and add 1 tablespoon or 1 packet yeast and 2 tablespoons sugar to the milk in a mixing bowl. Whisk and let rest for about 10 minutes.
scrumptious science
Even though yeast looks like large grains of sand, it is actually a living organism. Yeast is a label broadly used to describe about 1,500 different kinds of fungi. This means that yeast makes up about one percent of the fungus you would come across in the world. The type we are using today is called active dry yeast. It means that the yeast is alive but sleeping in its container. To "wake up" the yeast, you will need to feed it its favorite breakfast: sugar! Once the yeast begins eating the sugar, it creates a byproduct: carbon dioxide. (I like to think of the yeast as burping little, itty bitty burps from eating the sugar too fast!) This carbon dioxide will later be trapped inside the crumpets dough you are creating in this recipe, which is super important for making a light, fluffy texture.
whisk + grease + preheat
Whisk 1 egg into the yeast mixture. Generously grease the wells of a muffin pan with butter or oil. Place the pan in your oven and preheat the oven to 350 F.
add + mix + rest
To a separate mixing bowl, add 1 1/2 cups gluten and nut free flour and 1 teaspoon salt, then add to the milk mixture until well combined. Next, mix 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1 cup sparkling water, then add to your batter and mix. Batter will be thin enough to pour in a thin stream, slightly thinner than pancake batter. Add more milk if needed. Mix one more time, then let rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or until the batter doubles in size. Meanwhile, you can make Quickest Fruit Jam if you would like.
pour + bake + toast
Carefully remove the empty, hot muffin pan from the oven, then pour the batter halfway up each well. Bake the Crumpets for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are cooked through. Meanwhile, you can mix up Assorted Sweet and Savory Butters if you would like. Once the Crumpets have baked, set your oven to "broil" and let the tops toast to a golden brown. Careful! They will toast fast and can burn easily. Serve warm with Assorted Sweet and Savory Butters, Quickest Fruit Jam, and cups of Proper Tea!
Assorted Sweet & Savory Butters
divide + zest + chop
Divide 1 stick of soft butter in half. Choose your ingredients and divide them into "sweet" and "savory" categories. Then zest any citrus fruit and chop any veggies, fruit, or herbs you've chosen.
measure + mix + mash
To your sweet butter, add 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey and any other sweet additions you've chosen. To your savory butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt or more to taste, 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper, and any savory additions you've chosen. Mix and mash the butters separately until all ingredients are combined, then serve with warm High Tea English "Crumpets" and Quickest Fruit Jam!
Quickest Fruit Jam
chop + add
To a mixing bowl, add 1/2 to 1 cup of fresh or frozen and thawed berries. Chop larger berries first to make them easier to mash. Next, add 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey and 1 small pinch of salt.
mash + squish
Mash berries using a potato masher until you have a smooth consistency. A few small chunks can remain and are delicious! Or, add chopped berries, sugar or honey, and salt to a resealable plastic bag, seal tightly, and squish with your hands until berries are mashed! Serve with warm High Tea English "Crumpets" and Assorted Sweet and Savory Butters!
Proper Tea
boil + stir
Boil 3 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar or honey and stir until dissolved, then remove from the heat.
steep + stir + pour
Add 3 decaf black tea bags, and steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of milk, stir, pour, and enjoy!
Hi! I’m Flour!
"Happy Baking, Friends! I'm Flour, and I'm a VIP (Very Important Powder)! I'm really quite useful (and humble). You can use me to make breads, cakes, cookies, crackers, crumpets, doughnuts, muffins, pancakes, pasta, waffles, and more. (Which is your favorite?) I can coat vegetables and meats before frying them in oil, and you can combine me with a fat to make a roux to thicken sauces and gravies. You can even make play dough and glue with me. Can you see now why I'm a VIP?"
History
- Around 8,000 to 15,000 years ago, people discovered that they could crush wheat seeds between simple grindstones to make flour.
- When you grind cereal grains, beans, seeds, or roots (like cassava), they become a powder, resulting in flour. Some of the grains besides wheat that can be ground into flour are rye, buckwheat, barley, corn, oat, and rice. Other foods used to make flour are potatoes, acorns, mesquite, cassava, soybeans, garbanzo beans (or chickpeas), amaranth, and even bananas!
- Flour is the primary component of bread, and bread is a staple in many countries. Therefore, sufficient amounts of flour are critical, which has caused major economic and political issues at various times throughout history.
Anatomy & Etymology
- Before grains are ground into flour, they are whole pieces taken from a plant.
- Each kernel of wheat consists of three parts: the coarse outer bran layer (which contains most of the fiber), the germ, and the endosperm. The endosperm stores the grain's starch, a carbohydrate that the body uses to create energy. Other foods that contain starch are potatoes, pasta, and rice.
- Whole-wheat flour is the result of grinding or milling the whole grain. It contains all three parts of the kernel—bran, endosperm, and germ.
- White flour has been refined or polished and bleached to remove the bran. As a result, white flour has less fiber than whole-wheat flour and fewer nutrients, too.
- The word "flour" is originally a variant of the word "flower." Both derive from the Old French "fleur" or "flour," literally "blossom," and figuratively "the finest" (of the milled grain).
How Flour is made
- Flour is made in nearly every country in the world.
- First, farmers plant wheat seeds, and plants begin to grow. Then, when they are ready to harvest, farmers collect them with giant machines called combines.
- Combines cut, separate, and clean the wheat at the same time. The grain must be completely dry before storing, so farmers don't harvest it when it's rainy.
- Then, they transfer the flour to a mill (a building where grains are ground into flour), where a miller will oversee the grinding of the wheat grain into flour.
- One whole wheat grain makes over 20,000 particles of flour!
Nutrition
- Flour contains protein and is a significant source of carbohydrates.
- Carbohydrates are a direct source of energy for the body. Our bodies first have to make some changes to the carbohydrates, but then they are quickly converted to energy by our cells.
- Fiber helps to keep our intestines happy, feeding the good bacteria in our gut. Whole-wheat, unbleached flour is an excellent source of fiber.
- Whole wheat contains essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, protein, and fiber.
- Organic, unbleached flour is the healthiest.
- Wheat-free and gluten-free flours are vital to people who have celiac disease, wheat allergies, or gluten intolerance (or non-celiac gluten sensitivity). Varieties of gluten-free flours include those made from: almonds, amaranth, buckwheat, corn, garbanzo beans (or chickpeas), millet, quinoa, rice, sorghum, soybeans, and teff.
History of High Tea!
- Tea in Great Britain is a way of life. Even though afternoon tea has been a quintessential daily ritual for the British since the mid-1800s, drinking tea this way was not the norm for every household. High tea, in particular, was not a delicate affair like the early afternoon tea of the upper social classes.
- People who worked manual labor jobs couldn’t take time out to be served a cup of afternoon tea and biscuits. Their tea break was later and included hearty, substantial food. It came at the end of a long workday and was more like supper.
- They called it “high,” probably because they sat at higher kitchen tables rather than the low tables and comfortable chairs of the upper class.
Let's learn about England!
- England is ruled by a Monarch, a Prime Minister, and a Parliament. Windsor Castle is the oldest royal castle in the world that is still being used by the royal family.
- England is on the island of Great Britain, along with Wales and Scotland. It is also part of the United Kingdom, which consists of those three countries and Northern Ireland.
- Did you know that there's no place in the UK that is more than 70 miles from the sea?!
- Stonehenge is a construction of immense stones that the early inhabitants of what's now Wiltshire, England, began building around 3100 BCE. The final sections were completed around 1600 BCE. Scientists are still not sure how or why they built it. One theory for its purpose is an astronomical observatory. It is very popular with tourists.
- Other popular tourist spots in England include the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and Parliament (Palace of Westminster), the Roman Baths and the city of Bath, and the Lake District.
- London, the capital city, wasn't always called that. In the past, its name was Londonium.
- England took part in the briefest war in history. They fought Zanzibar in 1896, and Zanzibar surrendered after just 38 minutes!
- There have been several influential English authors, but perhaps the most well-known is William Shakespeare, who wrote classics such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet.
- English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee is credited with inventing the World Wide Web.
- The British really like their sandwiches—they eat almost 11.5 billion a year!
What's It Like to Be a Kid in England?
- Most schools in England require students to wear a school uniform.
- Sports kids play include football (soccer), cricket, rugby, tennis, netball (similar to basketball), and rounders (similar to baseball). They also play video games, watch the telly, and ride bikes or skateboards.
- Boxing Day is a unique holiday kids celebrate in England the day after Christmas, December 26. The official public holiday is the first weekday after Christmas if Boxing Day falls on a weekend. When the English created the holiday, it was the day to share the contents of alms boxes with the poor. Today, it is mostly a day off from school and work, although some small gifts may be given out to family and employees, or collected to give to the poor.
- English kids may have different names for everyday items also found in the United States. For example, a kid will call his mom "mum." Their backyard is a "garden." A big truck is called a "lorry," and the trunk of a car is a "boot." Biscuits in the US are closest to the British "scones," and cookies in England are "biscuits." A TV is usually called a "telly." Bags of chips are referred to as bags of "crisps." French fries, like those from a fast-food hamburger place, might be called "fries," but if they are thicker, like the ones typically served with batter-fried fish, they're called "chips" (fish and chips). Finally, kids call the fish sticks they might have for lunch "fish fingers.
The Yolk's On You
What do bakers give their moms on Mother's Day?
Flours!
That's Berry Funny
Why did the blueberry stop in the middle of the road?
Because he ran out of juice!
The Yolk's On You
What do teapots wear to a tea party?
T-shirts!
Lettuce Joke Around
What’s a ghost’s favorite fruit?
Boo-berries!
THYME for a Laugh
What did the butter say to the bread?
"I'm on a roll!'
That's Berry Funny
My friend hurt herself while making butter on her farm.
It was an unfortunate churn of events.
THYME for a Laugh
What did the yeast confess to the bag of flour?
I loaf you dough much!
That's Berry Funny
Why were the little strawberries upset?
Because their parents were in a jam!
The Yolk's On You
What did the cherry give to the chocolate cake on Valentine’s Day?
Flours!
