When the English pointers make 5pm, it's time to stop what you're doing to enjoy a nice cup of tea and a biscuit or croissant. This tradition has existed in the country since 1662, but has fallen in the grace of the people since the nineteenth century because of a starving duchess. Since then, the habit has left the bourgeois exclusivity and is practiced by the whole population ... And at any time! 

• 175g/6oz strong white flour
• 175g/6oz plain flour
• 2 x 7g sachets instant yeast
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 350ml/12fl oz warm milk
• 150-200ml/5-7fl oz warm water
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp salt
• sunflower oil for cooking

1. Weigh the flours in to a bowl. Add the yeast and stir through the flour.
2. Dissolve the sugar in the warm milk and pour onto the flour. Using a wooden spoon beat until you have a smooth batter. This will take 3-4 minutes and is hard work, but is essential to produce the holes in the crumpets.
3. Cover and leave for at least 20 minutes and up to an hour. The batter will rise and then begin to fall. You will see marks on the side of the bowl where the batter was before it dropped.
4. Mix the bicarbonate of soda and salt with the warm water and beat it into the batter. Add about ¾ of the water and keep adding it until you get a double cream consistency. Cover and rest for 20 minutes.
5. Heat a flat griddle or heavy based pan. Lightly grease the inside of four metal crumpet rings. Lightly grease the griddle. Sit the rings on the griddle over a medium heat.
6. Drop two dessert spoons of mixture into each ring. After 4-5 minutes bubbles should appear and the surface should be set. Carefully turn the crumpets in their rings and cook for a further three minutes.
7. Serve immediately or leave to cool and then toast before eating with plenty of butter. 

1. 1. Heat the oven to 275°F/140°C/gas 1 Grease an 8" x 8"/ 20cm x 20cm square cake tin. In a large heavy-based saucepan melt together the butter, sugar, treacle, golden syrup over a gentle heat. Do not allow the mixture to boil, you simply need to melt these together. In a large, spacious, baking bowl stir together all the dry ingredients. Gradually add the melted butter mixture stirring to coat all the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Gradually, beat in the eggs a few tablespoons at a time. Finally add the milk and again stir well. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and cook for 1½ hours until firm and set and a dark golden brown. Remove the parkin from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. Once cool store the Parkin in an airtight tin for a minimum of 3 days if you can resist eating it, you can even leave it up to a week before eating and the flavors really develop and the mixture softens even further and become moist and sticky. The Parkin will keep up to two weeks in an airtight con