Prep Time : 10 Minutes | Cook Time : 5 Minutes | Total Time : 30 Minutes | Difficulty : Easy
My parents came to visit me the other week (still looking after me even now) and we had a great time wandering around shopping and looking at things. One afternoon while they were here, I made afternoon tea and in this case it was pikelets. I realised I haven’t made them for you all, which is quite remiss! Pikelets are a staple of Kiwi home baking and were always to be found at family gatherings. These days they may be a bit kitsch but they’re so easy and rewarding. Why should you let style police stop you from enjoying a satisfying home made treat?
The absolute key to the cloud-like fluffiness of these pikelets is to whisk the egg whites separately and fold them into the end. It may seem fiddly but I am a total convert. It only takes a minute or two to whisk the egg whites and they make a huge difference. I promise it’s worth it!
So separate the eggs. Measure the flour, baking powder, sugar, milk, vanilla, melted butter and egg yolks into a bowl. Just leave them unmixed for now.
In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites to soft peaks with a hand held mixer or a whisk.
Now using the beater or whisk, beat the other ingredients together until smooth. So by doing the whites first, we don’t need to wash the beaters. Magic.
Now switch to a large spoon and fold in about a third of the egg whites. This first bit of egg white will lose a lot of volume but you will see the mixture become noticeably more soft and easy to stir
Once the first addition of egg whites are mixed in, add the rest and fold gently until the mix is uniform and fluffy.
Heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. I actually love to use my sandwich press which is flat on the bottom. It has a great even surface that is designed to maintain a set heat level so works perfectly.
Using a medium cookie scoop, or a tablespoon, scoop dollops onto the pan. Leave a few inches between as they will spread as the cook.
Watch the pikelets closely until bubbles start to pop on the surface in the middle. It should only take a minute or two. If the bottoms are getting too dark before this happens, you will need to turn the heat down a bit. The first batch are always a little trial and error!
Flip them over and cook for another minute or so until golden on the other side.
Transfer to a rack lined with a folded tea towel to keep warm while you cook the rest.
Serve immediately with whatever you like. Red jam and whipped cream are the traditional accompaniment but as in all things you should follow your heart’s desire..
Classic Pikelets
Prep Time : 10 mins | Cook Time : 5 mins | Total Time : 30 mins | Difficulty : Easy | Makes : 20 to 25 pikelets
Fluffy golden morsels, best served with jam and cream.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (140 grams) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons (30 grams) melted butter
- 2 eggs, separated
– If using metric cups, reduce volume measures by 1 tablespoon for every cup of dry or liquid ingredients –
Equipment:
- Hand-held electric mixer or whisk
- Non-stick frying pan or flat (not ridged) sandwich press
Directions:
The absolute key to the cloud-like fluffiness of these pikelets is to whisk the egg whites separately and fold them into the end. It may seem fiddly but I am a total convert. It only takes a minute or two to whisk the egg whites and they make a huge difference. I promise it’s worth it!
So separate the eggs. Measure the flour, baking powder, sugar, milk, vanilla, melted butter and egg yolks into a bowl. Just leave them unmixed for now.
In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites to soft peaks with a hand held mixer or a whisk.
Now using the beater or whisk, beat the other ingredients together until smooth. So by doing the whites first, we don’t need to wash the beaters. Magic.
Now switch to a large spoon and fold in about a third of the egg whites. This first bit of egg white will lose a lot of volume but you will see the mixture become noticeably more soft and easy to stir
Once the first addition of egg whites are mixed in, add the rest and fold gently until the mix is uniform and fluffy.
Heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. I actually love to use my sandwich press which is flat on the bottom. It has a great even surface that is designed to maintain a set heat level so works perfectly.
Using a medium cookie scoop, or a tablespoon, scoop dollops onto the pan. Leave a few inches between as they will spread as the cook.
Watch the pikelets closely until bubbles start to pop on the surface in the middle. It should only take a minute or two. If the bottoms are getting too dark before this happens, you will need to turn the heat down a bit. The first batch are always a little trial and error!
Flip them over and cook for another minute or so until golden on the other side. Transfer to a rack lined with a folded tea towel to keep warm while you cook the rest.
Serve immediately with whatever you like. Red jam and whipped cream are the traditional accompaniment but as in all things you should follow your heart’s desire..
Cook’s Notes:
- Pikelets are traditionally topped with red jam and cream, but they are delicious topped with anything that takes your fancy
- To make savoury mini-pancakes for canapes, leave out the sugar and vanilla, and add a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper
– Pikelets are definitely best eaten straight away or later the same day –
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