19 Mar 08 A Nice Bit Of Crumpet

Crumpets were an Anglo-Saxon invention. In early times, they were hard pancakes cooked on a griddle, rather than the soft and spongy crumpets of the Victorian era which were made with yeast. The crumpet-makers of the Midlands and London developed the characteristic holes, by adding extra baking powder to the yeast dough. The term itself may refer to a crumpled or curled-up cake, or have Celtic origins relating to the Breton krampoez meaning a “thin, flat cake” and the Welsh crempog, a type of pancake. Since many English words have Germanic roots, another possible root is the similar German word krumm (from Middle High German krump, krum) which means “bent”.[1] Another viable origin of the word may derive from the Welsh term crempot, translating as “pancake”. (from Wikipedia)

They are usually circular, but there are other shapes sometimes seen.

They’re similar to a muffin, but lighter (with those holes), and less savory perhaps.

They are simple to cook, as they fit in a regular toaster.  They can be eaten with a variety of toppings, such as jam or jelly, marmalade, honey, or a savory spread, such as cheese or marmite (a yeast extract spread similar to vegemite).

They’re mostly found in the United Kingdom, and the former Commonwealth countries, but are also available in other parts of the world. The crumpet in the accompanying photograph came from Publix, a Florida based, south-eastern US supermarket chain.

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