Hi Mary:-) This is a recipe that I found on the web. I hope it works for you. If you don't have crumpet rings, you might try using a clean tuna fish can with both ends removed. I used this years ago when I was making English muffins for the frist time. It worked like a charm:-) Good luck!!

The recipe

What it takes

* 450 grams (3 cups) plain white or untreated flour
* 2 teaspoons (10 grams) dry active yeast
* 2 3/4 cups of warm water
* Optional (1.5 teasopoons bread improver - if you have it available)
* 1.5 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon of sugar or honey
* 2 tablespoons powdered milk
* 1 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
* 2 tablespoons of warm water

Putting It Together

The Method

Combine yeast, sugar and one cup of warm water into a mixng bowl. The water should be hot enough to take a bath in, but not hot enough to scald. Cover with plastic wrap an stand in a warm place for about ten minutes. During this time the liquid should develop a foamy head, showing that the yeast is dissolved and happy..

Sift flour, milk and salt into another bowl, and mix well. (NB. Please resist the temptation to eliminate the salt, as the yeast need a small amount of salt to do their job properly.) Make a well in the centre of the flour, add the yeasty water and the rest of the warm water.

Using a wooden spoon, mix to a thick batter. Cover with plastic wrap, and stand in a warm place until well risen and bubbly. This will take about an hour. (I find that under the covers of the waterbed, the temperature is absolutely perfect for rising bread dough). The batter doesn't rise dramatically, but it does expand somewhat, and the mixture takes on gases which are necessary in the cooking process.

Combine the bicarbonate of soda and the extra water, and add this mix to the dough. MIX WELL. Then leave this mixture to stand, covered, in a warm place for a further 15 minutes.

Preheat a heavy based frypan to a low heat. This heat is such that oils (I use a spray on oil like "Pure and Simple", but butter or margarine may do) will not burn, smoke or misbehave. I use an electric country style frypan set on 5. This is almost a non-stick surface, and so low cholesterol oils are great.

Spray oils also allow you to coat the crumpet rings as you are ready to cook. Place enough mixture into the centre of each ring to come almost to the top of the ring. (The dough does rise during cooking, and this should be allowed for in the filling of the ring. Fill the ring enough to get good rise, but not so much that the ring overflows badly.) Cook for 4-8 minutes over this medium heat, until bubbles appear over the entire surface, and the dough appears 'dry'.

Remove the ring, turn the crumpet over and cook for a further 30 - 60 seconds to brown the top. Remove from the pan and cool on a cake rack.

If you find that the bottom is too dark (politely referred to as burnt), you are cooking too quickly. Slow it down, relax, and try again. The worst thing that can happen is that you have to make another batch.

Toast the crumpets and serve with lashings of cream and .... ENJOY.

Give them a go, they are made along healthy lines, although when eaten with gobs of butter they lose all pretence of health. When eaten with a low fat topping, say like a banana, they are healthy and delicious.