Crumpets

Warm the milk and water in a small saucepan. Put the flour into a large bowl then stir in the salt and the yeast. Gradually stir in the milk mixture to make a smooth, thick batter.

Cover the top of the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for an hour until well risen and bubbling.

Brush the inside of four round 3 1/2 inch cookie cutters (although I did try heart and star shapes they’re a bit of a pain to unmould) with oil and lightly oil a griddle or heavy-based nonstick frying pan. Heat it to a medium/low temperature.

Arrange the rings on the pan and using a tablespoon, dollop enough batter into the moulds to make a depth of about 1/2 inch. Cook gently until the batter has bubbled and looks dry on the surface. Loosen the rings with the point of a sharp knife and turn over crumpets and cook until golden on the other side.

To keep warm, wrap the cooked crumpets in a clean tea towel set on a plate. Continue cooking and refilling the rings until you have used up all the batter, oiling the moulds and griddle each time.

Reheat the crumpets under the grill, cooking the top side only. Spread with butter and jam or honey, maple syrup...