Thursday, October 10, 2019

Aussie Shearers' Pikelets on the Run


Eating freshly cooked pikelets after school, with butter dripping from them, is a fond childhood memory of mine. I made this batch of pikelets and a batch of my Aussie Damper scones early on the morning of Bee day, the day we extracted our first batch of honey from our bees, (my last story on my blog). I was  thinking that we would all need a good morning tea after the work was done, and I was right. I'm always thinking ahead with food.

The honey hadn't been processed for consumption by morning tea time, so we made do with delicious strawberry jam, a gift from Ingrid's wedding, the second wedding we attended in Brisbane. The jam was made from beautiful strawberries  purchased from the Wellington Point Strawberry Farm, Wellington Point, in the Redlands, just outside Brisbane and was made lovingly by Noela, Mother of the Bride. Then the following evening we celebrated our honey haul with our friends P & J, with these pikelets for dessert, and they were delicious and so was the honey. They are versatile little creations, mini pancakes really,  and so easy to make. They are also a very economical treat made from ingredients in most pantries and can be whipped up in minutes.

Everyone needs a good pikelet recipe in their repertoire, a quick solution to the question often asked,
"What can I make for morning tea" ? This recipe is a goodie, however I think it is important to buy good quality Self Raising Flour such as White Wings, or make your own by mixing 2 teaspoons of Baking Powder to 1 cup of Plain flour and sifting it well. The pikelets need to rise and this magic happens after they are flipped over the first time. I found this recipe in the September edition of the Australian Women's Weekly and their recipes are to be trusted. They called them Shearers' pikelets which appealed to my rustic Aussie side so that is what I have called these, although I was tempted to call them Beekeepers' pikelets as that is what we are.


A fresh batch of Pikelets
I may have mentioned before that my son and his family including our little grandchildren are living in the Falkland Islands for three years, so I am learning to be a Grandmother from a distance.  He is the Agronomist over there and as part of his work day he sometimes finds himself in a shearing shed, so I hope someone provides a nice morning tea like hot pikelets for them all sometimes. I thought of him when I was making these. The shearing sheds over there are a lot colder than the ones here though.

Let's cook:

Ingredients:

Makes 28 pikelets

2 cups (300g) self-raising flour
1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
pinch of salt
1 egg
1 1/2 cups (375ml) milk
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
20g butter, melted
butter, to serve





Method:

Sift the SR flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Add the sugar and salt.

 Whisk the egg, milk and vinegar in a small bowl. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix well. Set the batter aside for 30 minutes.

Heat a large heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat and lightly grease with the melted butter.

Drop dessertspoons of the batter into the pan. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface and the base is golden. Turn and cook on the other side until golden.

Spread the pikelets with butter while hot, or serve with strawberry jam and cream for a
Devonshire tea with or without scones.

Below is a batch of Aussie Damper Scones just out of the oven.



Have you ever eaten pikelets before and do you prefer them just with butter or with jam and cream as well? Either way they are delicious.

Warm wishes

Pauline

18 comments:

  1. I love both scones and pancakes! They are our favourite breakfast items..fantastic with a pot of freshly brewed tea :-))

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    Replies
    1. Angie I feel guilty if I have them for breakfast, more savoury for me, but bring them on for morning tea, no problems.Thanks for dropping by, Pauline.

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  2. Pauline, I also have happy memories of mum making delicious pikelets. My little granddaughters make them too apparently. They live in the Outback so I rarely see them but I believe they are good cooks. Thanks for another yummy recipe.

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  3. Thanks Chel. It seems you and I both are Grandmothers from a distance which I find very difficult. Pikelets are perfect for young ones to make.We just had some nice rain, hope you receive some too.:)

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  4. I’ve never had pikelets. They look like puffy pancakes, don’t they?
    Everything looks delicious, and actually make me hungry. 😊

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    Replies
    1. Nil my pancakes are a Scottish recipe and so are quite thick and large, and pikelets are smaller versions of them, more delicate and appropriately sized I guess for morning and afternoon teas. I read where some people call them drop scones, sounds strange to me though. Thanks for dropping by.

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  5. We call these crumpets here but I much prefer the term pikelets. There can be nothing better for you than honey from your own bees!

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    Replies
    1. Whats in a name, the main thing is they taste great. Yes I believe that your own honey is very good for you. Thanks Tandy

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  6. Dear Pauline, I have never tried pikelets and they look really interesting and easy to make. You have many nice recipes on your blog, I am glad I visited you!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Alida, it is lovely to have you visit my blog. Please come back soon.

      Delete
  7. Hi Pauline, gosh I haven't thought of pikelets since last visiting your part of the world. I used stay at a B&B just outside of Brisbane and they severed pikelets. I remember them tasting a bit like a crumpet but being a bit thinner, but I loved them. These will be on the table for Sunday brunch.
    There's nothing like honey from your own hives, enjoy.

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    Replies
    1. Great to hear from you Ron. Pikelets sound perfect as a part of
      Sunday brunch to me, and I haven't eaten much crumpet over here. Thanks for dropping by.

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  8. Thanks Alida, it is lovely to have you visit my blog. Please come back soon.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Another fun Australian blog with new words and foods and things to learn. I have so much fun reading about how the other side (as in of the earth!) lives. You have lots of interesting things here to read, I will return! Pikelets is a new word for me, will have to try them.

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    Replies
    1. So lovely to hear from you Kathy. I didn't realise that pikelets were such an Aussie phenomenon, but they sure are delicious and a very easy treat to whip up. Hope to hear from you again soon. Cheers, Pauline

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  10. yes pikelets are so delicious and not as well-known these days as they should be. how wonderful to be bee keepers!

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    Replies
    1. Yes Sherry I was really surprised that they are not as well known anymore. I think there will be a revival:) Thanks for being such a supportive blogging friend :)

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  11. Hi Dear,

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    ReplyDelete

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