Possibly the best English invention is the crumpet, shortly followed by the muffin at close second. You can apply spreads on them and have them for breakfast, afternoon tea or a snack. There is a bit of science involved, which I will explain here. You will need:
One muffin
One crumpet
Butter
Vegemite (one of Australia's best inventions, though technically a child of England's Marmite)
Jam or marmalade
Honey
Peanut butter
The Preparation Phase
Muffins and crumpets go mouldy easily as they have little preservatives in them. Therefore, they are best stored in the freezer. For a better defrosting experience, I would recommend defrosting in the fridge overnight. I used to write handwritten reminders to myself to do this, much to the amusement of my family.
It is recommended to keep them sealed while they are defrosting in the fridge, so they don't dry out. This nifty Sistema container fits them perfectly (though a cleaned dip or nut container may do, depending on the diameter and depth).
I use Tip Top English Muffins, which require cutting beforehand. There is a sort of slot to make it easier.
Whoops, I cut a bit wonky! Probably because I was photographing while cutting...
The Toasting Phase
I got a fancy toaster from Breville that can toast a muffin and crumpet at the same time. It was top rated by Choice at the time I bought it.
I use setting 4 for the muffin and setting 3 for the crumpet, on - very important - crumpet mode.
The Spreading Phase
Let's put the spreads on the muffin first, and in this order. First the honey, about 1-2 mm thick. Any thicker and things can get messy.
Then, the peanut butter - on both. Notice how it is easy to spread over the honey (if you used a thin layer). It also 'locks in' the honey. 🔒
Next, the jam or marmalade. You can even use lemon curd, though I prefer that on its own.
Now we put the butter on the crumpet. If we left it in the toaster, by now, it should be cool enough to put the butter on without it running through the holes.
And finally, the vegemite.
There is even an angelic halo on the vegemite and peanut butter jars. Beaut!
