Pikelets are a small thick pancake like treat and are a staple of many Kiwi households. There are many pikelet recipes in handwritten recipe books around the country but this one has always been my favourite.

Pikelets are best eaten fresh on the day of making, however they freeze well and the recipe doubles successfully. I cook mine in an old, bright orange electric fry pan with a stainless steel base which I have had since the seventies, but they can be made in any old pan or griddle.

You will need: 

• 2 eggs
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1 desp melted butter  (optional)
• 1½ cup white flour
• ¼–½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp cream of tartar, scant
• 1 tsp baking soda, scant
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup milk, low fat milk is fine

Method:

Lightly whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add the sugar and melted butter and whisk again until it thickens—this takes about a minute.

Sift all dry ingredients and add to the egg mixture in two batches alternating with the milk. Whisk until smooth and lump free. Do not over mix — the mixture should be a thick pancake consistency. If the mixture is too thick, add a dash more milk. If the mixture is too runny, add a dash more flour.

You will notice I use scant teaspoon of baking soda and cream of tartar which means just under the teaspoon.

Heat the pan or griddle to a medium heat— about 375° F / 190° C if you are using an electric fry pan.

Grease the pan very lightly with a little butter. You may have to do this once again throughout the cooking process but you will get a totally different result if you grease the pan after each batch, or you use to much butter.

Put spoonfuls into the pan or griddle using a soup spoon as a size guide. When little bubbles appear on the surface of the pikelet, flip to cook the other side and cook lightly. I use a spatula with a very bendy blade to flip the pikelets.

Only flip once otherwise they will be tough. They should be a light brown in color. Cook the remainder of the pikelets in batches of about 4 to 6 at a time making sure you have plenty of flipping room.

Cool on a wire rack or a platter or basket covered with several layers of paper towel. Serve with jam/jelly and whipped cream, Devonshire Tea style, or with butter and jam.

I am sure you will have a favourite topping that you will love, so go for it.

5 Cows Tip:

If you don’t want to use butter to grease the pan, cut a potato in half and rub the surface of the pan with the cut side of the potato. This method ensures you get an evenly colored pikelet.