Crumpets and marmalade on Super Bowl Sunday

I don't know a field goal from a touchdown, and spend most Super Bowl Sundays wishing a pigskin were a crunchy fried snack. But there is one thing I love about the day: Every year I can snag last-minute tickets to sold-out movies or make reservations at perpetually booked restaurants.

This year, while most football lovers will be crowding around the TV, clutching cold brews and hot wings, I'll be hosting a tea party for my toddler daughter, partying hard, lace-doily style. I invite any football-averse comrades out there to do the same, though if you don't have a toddler, you may want to call up a few like-minded adult friends. If the food and drink aren't tempting enough, tell them you've rented a Colin Firth movie, too.

On the menu, there will be steaming crumpets slathered in mock clotted cream, a bowl of homemade Meyer lemon and blood orange marmalade and delicate tea sandwiches piled high on a plate.

My recipe for marmalade is pretty simple. No need for candy thermometers or sterilized jars. I just simmer the slivered citrus until the peels are soft, then stir in granulated sugar, as well as a little Demerara (raw) sugar, which gives the preserves a caramelized, molasses note. The recipe makes a small batch, so you can store it in the refrigerator. It should last for several weeks, though surely you'll eat it all before then.

I also cheat a little with the crumpets, frying them up free-form without employing crumpet or English-muffin rings. They come out flat, like pancakes, with a deep yeasty flavor and crisp crust. Though if you like molds, try using cookie cutters: hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades give the party a very "Alice in Wonderland" feel.

Hot crumpets beg for clotted cream. Traditional recipes call for simmering cream for a couple of hours in a double boiler, then removing and chilling the cream, or clot, that forms on top. I did this once, and it was delicious, though not entirely worth it since you can buy clotted cream, or make a fake, mascarpone-based version that's just as good.

It wouldn't be a proper tea party without a plate of soft, crustless tea sandwiches that even the toothless can consume. I'm going to riff on bagels and lox, spreading caper-herbed butter on slices of whole-wheat bread and layering on smoked salmon and thinly sliced radishes.

A little before kickoff, my daughter and I will pour the tea (Assam for me, chamomile for her) and sit down with our guests, certain that none of them — two fluffy pink kitties, a teddy bear and a plush gorilla named Herman — will be even slightly tempted to check the score.

MEYER LEMON AND BLOOD ORANGE MARMALADE

Time: 1 hour

Yield: 2 cups

3 medium Meyer lemons, ends trimmed

1 medium blood orange, ends trimmed

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

1 ¼ cups Demerara (raw) sugar.

1. Place several small plates or saucers in the freezer.

2. Wash the citrus well under warm running water. Cut the lemons and orange in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 1/8-inch segments, lengthwise. Pluck out any exposed membrane and remove the seeds.

3. Measure the cut citrus. You should have 2 ½ cups, but if you have less, use the same volume of water and sugar as you have citrus. (If there are only 2 cups, for example, use 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar.) Place the citrus and the same volume of water into a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the peels are very soft and fully cooked, about 20 to 30 minutes.

4. Add the sugar to the pot, stir to combine. Turn the heat up to high and bring back to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and let the marmalade simmer until set. It should take about 20 to 30 minutes, but start checking after 15 minutes to see if it is set by spooning a little onto a chilled plate from the freezer. If it looks like jam and not runny syrup, it's ready. (If you want to use a candy thermometer, you are looking for 222 degrees.)

5. Allow marmalade to cool to room temperature before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and use within a month.

WHOLE-WHEAT CRUMPETS WITH MOCK CLOTTED CREAM

Time: 1 hour plus 1 hour rising

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

1 cup warm milk

1 envelope (2 ¼ teaspoons) yeast

1 teaspoon honey

1 ½ cups warm water

1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup mascarpone

6 tablespoons heavy cream

Vegetable oil for cooking

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, yeast and honey. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until the mixture becomes foamy, about 10 minutes.

2. Whisk in the warm water, both flours, salt and baking powder until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about one hour.

3. To prepare the mock clotted cream, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mascarpone and cream until thick and stiff. Chill until ready to serve.

4. To prepare the crumpets, set a griddle over medium-low heat and oil it. To make flat, pancakelike crumpets, spoon the batter onto the griddle and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on one side and 1 to 2 minutes on the other. To make the crumpets using English-muffin rings or cookie cutters, oil them liberally and place on the skillet. Spoon in batter ¼-inch high. Let the crumpets cook until dry around the edges and bubbles have formed over the surface, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the rings and wipe clean. Turn crumpets over and cook until lightly browned, another 2 to 3 minutes. Re-oil the griddle and each ring before making another batch.

HERBED BUTTER AND SMOKED SALMON SANDWICHES

Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), softened

1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint or parsley

1 tablespoon chopped capers

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

8 slices whole-wheat or white Pullman loaf

6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon

4 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced

Lemon juice, for drizzling

Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling.

In a medium bowl, fold together the butter, herbs, capers and lemon zest. Spread the butter onto each slice of bread. Top half of the slices with salmon, followed by an even layer of sliced radishes. Drizzle lemon juice over radishes and sprinkle lightly with salt. Form into sandwiches with remaining bread slices. Trim off the crusts and cut sandwiches into quarters, or use cookie cutters. Serve immediately or cover with a tea towel until ready to serve.