Take the edge off the chilly weather with our recipe for homemade crumpets.

Blimey it's gotten cold hasn't it? I don't have a picture to illustrate, but earlier this week our pond froze over and my husband took a huge glacial chunk of ice out and pushed it, steadfast into the ground where it remained for several days – our very own 'Shard'.

When we originally moved to our new house six months ago we'd already decided to take the pond out but just a few days in, and it became a point of fascination for our family. Watching the tadpoles turn into a proliferation of toads. Feeding the fish. Seeing the milky-hued lilies unfurl in the sun at the warmest part of the day.

It also became a focal point for weekend breakfast. Like clockwork, every Saturday and Sunday last year we could be found in our dressing gowns, sitting on camping chairs by the water, enjoying a lazy brunch while seeing which creatures we could spot.

In the blazing sun, those breakfasts ranged from window-ledge ripened mangoes with honey, to fresh waffles dosed with chocolate sauce, bacon sarnies and even a full English – not the easiest thing to eat on your lap!

This weekend, now we actually have a garden with trees, we're taking part in the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch and with snowy or at least frosty conditions predicted, there's only one portable breakfast we want to take outside with us – and that's crumpets.

It's a humble thing to eat is the crumpet. It looks pretty dull and uninspiring. But oh the decadence of lavishing the top with lashings of salted butter, and watching it pool into the holes!

We do love a good crumpet in our house but they are amongst one of the saltiest bready things you can buy. According to Action on Salt, one crumpet has a similar amount of salt to a packet and a half of ready salted crisps.

So when I have the time, I do like to make them myself as I am this weekend. They look tricky, but all you need is a bowl, a heavy bottomed frying pan and some egg rings, or round metal cookie cutters.

That extra hint of salt comes from the topping of salted maple and peanut butter. A grating of dark chocolate makes these even yummier. And the inclusion of thyme gives these an edge.

Thyme crumpets with salted maple and peanut butter

Ingredients

For the crumpets:

300ml milk,warmed

220g strong white flour

1/4tsp fine sea salt

1 7g sachet dried yeast

1tsp caster sugar

1/2tsp fresh thyme leaves

For the butter:

4tbsps salted butter

2tbsps smooth peanut butter

3tbsps good quality maple syrup

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 160C and line a baking tray.

Mix together all the crumpet ingredients in a large bowl to make a batter. Cover with a teatowel and put in a warm place for one hour.

Grease a heavy bottomed frying pan and place some greased 9cm metal rings in it – I recommend no more than four at a time. Turn the heat to high.

Put 2tbsps of batter in each and cook for one minute. Turn the heat right down now and cook for 10 minutes. You'll see lots of little bubbles pop up on top.

Now remove carefully from the rings and slide them onto your tray and finish in the oven for around five minutes to completely cook through.

Mix together all the butter ingredients. Allow the crumpets to cool slightly then serve with the butter.