Crumpets and Souvenirs

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

Well over a century ago, Londoners Jack Hanson and Lucy Robinson were sweethearts. Early in the 1900s, Jack left England for Chicago to follow his dreams. Shortly thereafter and still a teenager, Lucy left her family and followed her true love to America. They married and lived a happy life.

By 1952 Lucy was a widow, a mother of 7 and grandmother of 17 when Princess Elizabeth, while visiting Kenya, received the news of her father’s death and her own accession to the Throne of England.

Lucy decided to take one of her grandchildren back to London to visit the family she hadn’t seen in many many years and to celebrate The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, which was to take place in Westminster Abbey on the 2nd of June 1953.

They boarded the RMS Queen Elizabeth and sailed to England. The granddaughter that accompanied Lucy was my mother. She was 19 years old at the time.

Crumpets and Souvenirs

How to Make Crumpets from Scratch

Mom always cherished her souvenirs from that trip. As kids, we were fascinated by the photographs in the program books. While many of the pictures were in black & white, I loved the in-color image of the Crown, Orb & Sceptre. My sister Paula remembers asking Mom if the crown was really heavy on the Queen’s head… (apparently, it was).

THE CORONATION REGALIA

At the heart of the Crown Jewels collection are the Coronation Regalia: the sacred objects used during the coronation ceremony. These unique objects represent the powers and responsibilities of the monarch.

ST EDWARD’S CROWN

St. Edward’s Crown is the most important and sacred of all the crowns. It is only used at the moment of crowning itself. The magnificent solid gold frame weighs nearly 5 lbs. and is adorned with 444 precious and semi-precious stones.

THE SOVEREIGN’S SCEPTRE WITH CROSS

The Sovereign’s Sceptre with Cross has been used at every coronation since Charles II’s in 1661. It was transformed in 1910 for George V by the addition of the spectacular Cullinan I diamond. At 530.2 carats, it is the largest colorless cut diamond in the world. The Cullinan Diamond was discovered in 1905, in modern-day South Africa.

SOVEREIGN’S ORB

During the coronation the monarch is presented with objects representing their powers and responsibilities. This is called the investiture. Among the objects is the Sovereign’s Orb, a golden globe surmounted by a cross. It reminds the monarch that their power is derived from God. (from hrp.org.uk)

Crumpets Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. water, lukewarm
• 1 c. milk, lukewarm
• 2 T. butter, melted
• 3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (420g)
• 2 1/2 t. yeast (see notes below)
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 1/2 t. salt

Method:

Gather all ingredients then combine them at once in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer, mix at high speed for 2 minutes. Cover the bowl and let stand on the counter for 1 hour 20 minutes. The batter will expand and become bubbly.

Preheat the griddle to 325°F. Grease the griddle lightly. Spray the inside of crumpet rings (3 1/4″ size) with no-stick baking spray. Place rings on the griddle and let them heat up for one minute. Using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop, scoop batter into the rings.

Cook for 6 minutes until holes form on the top of the batter and the sides begin to dry out. Remove rings with tongs, and continue to cook for another 6 minutes.

Flip crumpets over and cook the other side for 7 minutes. Remove to a wire rack.

Repeat as necessary. Makes 18 crumpets.

To Serve:

Serve warm crumpets with butter and jam. Or savory style with butter and a soft-boiled egg. And tea.

Unlike English muffins, there is no need to split the crumpets open, as the holes go all the way to the outside of the biscuit where melting butter fills the holes and makes the insides gloriously “juicy.”

Notes:

I use Active Dry Yeast.

Stir 2 1/2 t. active dry yeast into 1/4 c. warm water. Stir in 1 t. sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes. (If mixture doubles in volume, the yeast is active). Add to the mixing bowl along with the other ingredients.

Recipe was adapted from the King Arthur Flour website.

Read about Coronation Chicken served at the Coronation Luncheon of Queen Elizabeth II and get the recipe here.

God Save The Queen

In Loving Memory

Great Grandma Lucy
Lucy Robinson Hanson
1886 – 1970

Mom
Joyce May Heining Hirsch
1933 – 2013