Homemade crumpets with passionfruit curd, a nutty hazelnut crumble and fresh strawberries – best eaten fresh on a Sunday morning! Jump to Recipe
Today is Thursday. My first exam is on Tuesday.
I should probably be a little more stressed.
Unfortunately, it seems like that stress (and therefore motivation to study) only hits in the two days before the exam. Bad timing really – most opportunities to stuff information into my brain have already passed.
It also means that my procrastination skills have had serious practice in the last few days. It even got to the point that yesterday I downloaded an app that uses the Pomodoro Technique of time management to give you 25 minute bursts of study with 5 minute breaks in between – apparently allowing for optimum focus and brain function. Although I think it has helped, in that I now think about study more like an exercise session, aiming to get 6 sets of 25 minutes done before lunch (like YES, 4 down and 2 to go!), even the act of researching apps to download was itself a form of procrastination. It seems to me that I have two main procrastination settings:
- Productive procrastination: this is the type that I don’t mind so much, as I am also getting (kind of) useful things done. Time is spent getting coffee, writing blog posts, editing photos, going out for meals (I just noticed the food theme there…) reading and exercising. Even though I am not actively studying, I figure at least something is being accomplished (if you can call coffee an accomplishment).
- Unproductive procrastination – or TIME WASTING: this is the worst. The worst. And the awful thing is that I can’t seem to stop myself from doing it. These are the times that you find yourself scrolling aimlessly through social media feeds and news websites until you suddenly look at the clock and realise another half hour has passed – and yet you still can’t rip your eyes away. Sometimes you even scroll through facebook on your computer, then go through instagram and snap chat on your phone, then end up back on facebook again – like anything has actually changed in the last ten minutes. SO STUPID. The key times for this to occur seems to be right before a study session, and right before bed (like, just go to sleep already!)
Does anyone else have this problem? I’m sure if I had kitchen access (i.e. not at college) I would also be an expert at procrasti-baking. Brownies would be coming out my ears.
And isn’t it sad that my procrastination has got SO good that I can even spend time analysing how I procrastinate?
Moving on. These crumpets. Warm, crispy edged, yeasty and air-pocketed, slathered with dollops of tangy, rich passionfruit curd, nutty hazelnut crumble and bites of fresh strawberries. You need them in your life. Crumpets are fun – the batter is almost pancake-like in consistency (no, you will not be kneading it!) with yeasty flavours of bread but cooked in a pan with big air holes emerging on the surface, ready to be filled with passionfruit curd – they are the ultimate English morning tea treat. You will need some form of metal ring to contain that batter though while they cook – I used egg rings like these or these, but any similar metal ring will do.
The crumpets are from a food52 recipe (by Izzy Hossack) and were so good I didn’t change a thing, apart from doubling the recipe because we are hungry people around here. The passionfruit curd is hard to get wrong – just keep stirring over the waterbath until it thickens – and you will be rewarded with the best curd you have ever tried (seriously, it is like lemon curd but even better. Mind-blowing). Any remaining will keep in the fridge to be smeared on toast, added to ice cream or just eaten by the spoonful. The crumble is the key texture contrast to the slightly chewy crumpet and smooth curd – nutty and crunchy, it is like a crumble topping without the fruit underneath – and we all know that is the best part. Strawberries add a hint of freshness, balancing out the sweetness and rich flavours of the other components.
Although a bit of a mouthful to say (crumpets with passionfruit curd, hazelnut crumble and strawberries), they really aren’t hard to make. Perfect for brunch – just set out all the components for everyone to devise their own perfect proportions of topping to crumpet, and watch it disappear.
- 1 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups water (1 cup cold, 1/2 cup boiling)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 14 g active dry yeast (2 x 7g sachets or 5 teaspoons).
- 3 1/3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 3 + crumpet or egg rings
- olive oil for greasing the rings and pan
- 3/4 cup (or 200ml) passionfruit pulp (1/2 cup when strained + 2 tablespoons seeds reserved)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3/4 cup caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 110 g butter , cubed
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts
- 40 g caster sugar (roughly 3 tablespoons)
- 40 g flour (1/3 cup)
- 30 g butter , cold (just over 2 tablespoons)
- A punnet of fresh strawberries
- Icing sugar to dust
-
In a large bowl, combine the milk, water, sugar and yeast and let sit for 5 minutes.
-
Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture, then beat together with a large spoon until it is completely smooth, about 5 minutes. This was a similar consistency to a thick pancake batter.
-
Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours until risen and bubbly.
-
In a small bowl, dissolve the baking powder and baking soda in the 2 tablespoons of boiling water. Immediately stir this into the large bowl of batter (yes it will deflate, don’t worry!) until it is completely combined. Set aside for 15 minutes.
-
Meanwhile, use a pastry brush or baking paper to grease your egg or crumpet rings with oil. Lightly oil a large non-stick frying pan (or 2, if you have enough rings to use!) over medium heat. Place the ring molds in the pan, leaving some space between them.
-
Scoop spoonfuls of batter into the rings (I used just under 1/4 cup for mine). Cook until the surface of the batter looks ‘dry’ with quite a few holes in it (about 8 -10 minutes), and the underside is golden brown. Use a butter knife to loosen the crumpets from the rings, remove the rings with tongs and flip the crumpets with a spatula. Cook until golden brown on both sides and place on a wire rack.
-
Repeat with the remaining batter. You may have to re-oil the rings and pan between batches.
-
Serve hot from the pan or reheat in the toaster.
-
Strain the passionfruit pulp through a fine sieve, using a spoon to break up all the fibrous bits and get out as much liquid as you can. Reserve the liquid (which should be roughly 1/2 a cup) and 2 tablespoons of seeds (or no seeds if you prefer).
-
In a medium metal bowl, combine the passionfruit liquid and 2 tablespoons of seeds, lemon juice and sugar. Whisk in the eggs and egg yolks until the sugar has dissolved.
-
Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water) and add the cubed butter. Stir the mixture continuously, scraping around the sides and bottom of the bowl, until it starts to thicken (10-15 minutes).
-
As soon as it has thickened, pour the curd into a separate, cold bowl and stir occasionally until cooled.
-
Refrigerated in an airtight container or jar, this curd will keep for a couple of weeks.
-
Preheat oven to 180°. Spread out hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast for 5-10 minutes or until fragrant and the skins are beginning to blister/flake off. Leave to cool for 10 minutes and then rub the skins off - I find this easiest to do by putting them in the middle of a tea towel, bringing the edges in and then scrunching them together to force the skins off. Don’t worry about skins that don’t come off.
-
Roughly chop the hazelnuts (see picture). In a small bowl, stir together the chopped hazelnuts, caster sugar and flour.
-
Rub in the butter with your fingers until crumbly.
-
Line the baking tray with a piece of baking paper, spread out the hazelnut crumb on the baking tray and place in the oven for about 10 minutes or until golden. Stir after five minutes to ensure even cooking.
I totally feel you, girl! I was THE worst at studying…I just cannot do it. Luckily, I was really good at B.S.ing 🙂 I was also a Political Science major, so while the Chinese Government can make your heard hurt, I don’t think it’s as intense as biology and the sciences can be in terms of memorization and there being a clear right/wrong answer. These crumpets look like the perfect distraction though! I would have loved to eat one of these while I pretended to study back in the day. The passionfruit curd sounds absolutely divineeee! Gorgeous, deary!
Hahaha not sure about that, Political Science sounds pretty tough! At least we do have a bit of ethics this semester which you can waffle on about just based on general knowledge, but the neuroanatomy is really making my brain hurt! Thanks so much Beeta, and yes the passionfruit curd was the perfect topping (I could eat it with pretty much anything I think!) <3
Wow Claudia! Your recipes always look so amazing – I love visiting your blog! Crumpets are one of my favourite foods, I used to always eat them for breakfast when I was little! Nothing beats home made ones either! The passionfruit curd sounds incredible. Great recipe! <3
Aw thank you so much Harriet, that is so lovely to hear – seriously makes my day! And so agree – homemade crumpets (like most breads!) are so much better than the store-bought version. Thanks again!! <3
I am a total procrastinator in some things, but I can’t think of a better way to procrastinate than by shoving my face full of a bunch of these fabulous crumpets! LOVE the passionfruit curd, hazlenut crumbles and strawberries! This is seriously THE best breakfast (or lunch… or dinner!) These crumpets are so gorgeous! Good luck on your test next week! I’m sure you are going to ACE it! Cheers, girlfriend!
Hahahah these are definitely a good way to procrastinate, that is for sure. And I would totally eat the left overs for lunch and dinner (such a sweet tooth haha!). Thanks so so much Cheyanne, you are too lovely! xx
ahhh, memories of nights of cramming! 🙂 Glad you have your blog to distract you!
thanks for the reminder to try my hand at homemade crumpets, been meaning to make them for ages! I’ll use your recipes. Nx
hahaha the time spent cramming is not so much fun…so yes I am VERY glad I have my blog to turn to (and blogs like yours to read!)
Thanks so much Nagi! x
Wow! These look absolutely divine. I’m drooling all over my keyboard. I think I need to make these on Saturday morning for sure : )
A bit of mouth-watering action is always a good sign! Thanks so much Madeline – would love to know what you think if you try them 🙂
What a stunning brunch! I’ve never had crumpets before, but these look insanely delicious! I’m in love with your food styling too. So gorgeous!
xx Sydney
Thanks Sydney! Homemade crumpets are way better than store bought too, so I recommend giving them a go for sure 🙂 Thank you so much for stopping by! xx
These photos are STUNNING! I’m swooning. I also haven’t had crumpets since I lived in London and now I’m totally craving – good thing I have your homemade recipe to try! 🙂
Aw thank you Rachel! Crumpets are so much fun to make, and really not too hard (just a little time consuming, like most yeasted breads!). So good with just butter and jam as well, but the passionfruit curd is a decadent alternative!
these look absolutely gorgeous!!! you can tell they’re a total labor of love, and the presentation is just SO scrumptious!!! totally die for the styling here 😉
Thanks Christine! I did have fun making a bit of a mess with the styling – the passionfruit curd was great for that! <3 <3
Beautiful and yummy photos. I love passionfruit curd so I am going to try your recipe and hazelnut crumbles sounds so delicious! even though I don’t have exams, I often procrastibaking too and since I have never made crumpet before, I will use this recipe. Thank you for sharing and hope you do well in your exams.
Thank you so much Shihoko! Would love to know what you think if you give it a go. Procrastibaking is one of my bad habits – but at least you end up with something delicious to eat! <3
I’ve always wanted to make crumpets, but I’ve never tried. They look great. And the passion fruit curd is beautiful!
Thank you Amanda! They are definitely worth making – especially with the passionfruit curd. A fun alternative to other sweet breakfasts!
Wow Claudia, I am so IMPRESSED! You are only 18 and you are tackling medical school and food blogging! Your photos are amazing, you have a natural talent and look forward to checking in on more recipes and your journey through school. Keep it going girl!
Aw thank you so much Jessica! That means a lot, you are too kind!! Thank you for stopping by xx
Well THESE crumpets were definitely the good kind of procrastination, Claudia! Oh, what a beautiful idea! I love the mix of strawberries, lemon curd and crushed nuts. My goodness, you’ve just given me a serious craving!
All the best with the exam! 🙂
Thank you Helen! First exam is tomorrow (see, more procrastination as we speak!!) – I am craving this now too looking back at the photos! Thanks for stopping by xx
These crumpets look absolutely scrumptious!!! I can only imagine how good these would taste for breakfast! Now only if I could find some passionfruit…
Aw thank you so much Anne! Such a good sweet breakfast – keep it in mind if you see any passionfruit! X
I think I need these in my life. Like right now please! Cooking and baking are such perfect ways to handle all that stress.
Good luck in all your exams and assessments you clever cookie!!
Thanks Ruby!! Such a perfect way to de-stress, I agree! X
Omg, I’m terrible. Although I must say I’m impressed that you literally have procrastinating down to a science by analyzing it! Too funny.
So onto the crumpet. These look incredible – they’re absolutely stunning! And your food styling and photography is just gorgeous!
hahah yeeaaah, not sure if it something I should be proud of or not haha!! Thanks so much Kathleen! Xx
This honestly is one of my ideal breakfast
Thanks Raymund 🙂
Claudia that’s hilarious about your procrastination! I’m a big crumpet fan and I would get everything done if I could sink my teeth into them! 😀
haha thanks Lorraine! That is actually a great idea – food treats as motivation to study!
Claudia these are making my mouth water! I LOVE crumpets – they were such a weekend treat when I was a kid. Hot and slathered in butter… This combination just looks perfect though with the passionfruit curd and hazelnut crumble! Also totally know what you mean about procrastination! I’m especially guilty of the every-5-minutes-Facebook-check. Such a time drain! I hope you manage to beat it!
Thanks Erika! That sounds like an awesome childhood weekend treat – you can’t go wrong with classic hot and melty butter. Glad I am not only one practiced at procrastination – I think I have gotten better over the last week, but it isn’t beaten by a long shot haha! <3