CRUMPETS WITH MASCARPONE CREAM AND BERRY COULIS

Notes: Yeasty, pillowy crumpets in under one hour? YES! Crumpets are often made with a sourdough starter but I say skip it. Crumpets I’ve had in the past can often be a little dry and scone like, but my surprisingly quick and easy recipe yields tender clouds from heaven. My recipe starts with warm water, a touch of honey, bread and wheat flours and active dry yeast. I then proof this dough for only 30 mins at 88 F. The warm temperature is key. The dough is very sticky so use a dough whisk if you have one. I then incorporate a tiny bit of sugar and salt, and the final rise happens in minutes with the addition of baking powder.
The mascarpone cream is barely sweetened with maple syrup with flavor enhanced by vanilla bean paste and salt and they make the best of friends with these crumpets. I cannot emphasize how pillowy and light they are, and the yeasty flavor really comes through.
You can top crumpets with lots of things. Cut into them with a fork to get lots of nooks and crannies, toast them and smear some butter on top to keep it simple. You can also try savory toppings, think a slice of cheese and tomato. Or you can do what I did and top with mascarpone cream and berry coulis (you can sub jam if you don’t want to make the coulis).

The crumpet dough ingredients were weighed out. I highly suggest getting a good digital kitchen scale like the OXO Good Grips Digital Kitchen Scale if you don’t already have one, as most baking recipes will turn out more close to the original if ingredients are weighed.

This recipe yields 4-5 crumpets. Perfect for two people. But if you want 8-10 crumpets just double the ingredients. They keep will in the fridge for a few days in a sealed plastic bag.

Prep and cook time:

Approximately 1 hour

Fast, easy, and ridiculously delicious crumpet clouds: Fresh off the griddle with mascarpone cream and raspberry and cherry coulis.

Special Equipment:

• 3 inch cake rings molds or tart ring molds.

If you’re in the market for cake ring molds then these are the exact ones I have and use, available on Amazon: 3 inch Cake Ring Molds with Pusher & Lifter

If you prefer tart rings molds (they’re not as tall) these are good quality: 12 Pack Tart Rings 3.15 inch, perforated, stainless steel

• Dough whisk

After making this recipe I realized I should really get a dough whisk (helpful for sticky bread doughs), so I bought this one: Danish dough whisk, stainless steel, 13 inch

• Ice cream scoop
  

Ingredients:

Crumpet dough:

• Water: 150 mL

• Honey: 1/4 tsp

• Bread flour: 120 g

• Whole wheat flour: 25 g

• Active dry yeast: 8 g

• Granulated sugar: 6 g (1 and 1/4 tsp)

• Salt: 3/4 tsp (I used Pink Himalayan)

• Baking powder: 1 tsp

• Butter: 1 tbsp (for greasing ring molds and scoop)

• Neutral oil of your choice (for cooking)

Mascarpone cream: (accuracy doesn’t matter as much here)

• Cold heavy whipping cream: 1/2 cup

• Mascarpone: 1/2 cup

• Vanilla bean paste: 1 .5 tsp (vanilla extract is ok too, can sub 2 tsp)

• Salt: to taste (a pinch)

• Maple syrup: 1 tbsp

Cherry and Raspberry Coulis - The following recipes have the ingredients and directions for each one:

• Cherry Coulis (puree)

• Raspberry Coulis (puree)

Directions:

Mascarpone cream:

1. Whisk the cold heavy whipping cream in a bowl until you get stiff peaks

2. Add the mascarpone, vanilla bean paste, pinch of salt, and maple syrup and whisk in until cream is thick and smooth.

3. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Adding vanilla bean paste to the mascarpone cream.

Crumpets:

1. Warm the water (~50-60 seconds in microwave) and pour into a large mxing bowl then add the honey and whisk in to dissolve.

2. Whisk in flours and yeast until incorporated. The dough will be very sticky.

3. Cover and let ferment for 30 mins at 88-90F. This warm temperature is key, otherwise you will need to proof longer if the dough is kept at a lower temp.

4. Add the sugar and salt and whisk until well combined, then whisk in the baking powder and wait 3-5 minutes, the batter should start to slightly bubble and poof up.

5. Meanwhile, grease the inside of 4-5 tart or cake rings molds with the butter. Lightly grease your skillet or pan with a few drops of neutral oil and warm it over medium heat. Place the rings in the skillet and divide the batter equally between them. I suggest using a greased cookie dough scoop because the batter is very sticky.

6. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for ~4-5 mins until the top of the crumpets rise and start to look a little set. The rise and the golden-brown color at the bottom of the crumpets will be tell tale signs they are ready to flip.

7. Carefully turn the crumpets over, remove the rings (they should detach easily) and continue cooking for about 3 mins until the undersides are golden.

   Serve the crumpets warm. You can cut them open and toast them to brown them more and make them a little crisp. Spread with butter and jam, or dollop on mascarpone cream with berry coulis, or clotted cream, or whatever you like on top!

Portioning the crumpet dough into the buttered cake ring molds with a buttered ice cream scoop.

Flipping the crumpets after having covered and steamed them. They should slide easily out of the molds.