Perfect Pikelets
Say hello to the Pikelet. Hello Pikelet!
If you're not Australian you may not know what a Pikelet is. It's basically a pancake. A teeny, light, fluffy, delicious, buttery pancake! You know how babies are small humans, with extra smooth skin and they're kinda pudgy and fluffy? That's what a Pikelet is like - it's a baby pancake! And you gotta eat it! Slather it in butter, teach it a few simple words, tell it life is fleeting and meaningless, and then eat it!
If that sounds too macabre and existential (I regularly get in trouble for being too existential), here’s an alternative: wake up on a Sunday morning, sunlight streaming through your bedroom window. Maybe there are birds chirping outside. Maybe there’s a friendly cricket click-clacking. Realise in one great rush of feeling that you are fortunate enough to find yourself in a universe where there are crickets and sunshine and maple syrup and that you are in the possession of a sunlit day with nothing much to do. And, yeah, maybe life is ultimately meaningless, maybe everything is temporary and the infinite universe is entirely unconcerned about your existence. But doesn’t that make it MORE beautiful and incredible that you get to spend another sun drenched day mopping maple syrup up off a plate and watching bees hunt for flowers?? I say it does.
The practical thing that I should actually say is that these pikelets are a fantastically useful because they require SO LITTLE thought and zero brainpower or planning. You need one bowl and a fork, so unlike pancakes or waffles which always seem unreasonably challenging for a first-thing-in-the-morning activity, these pikelets really can be made with your eyes closed and your brain off. Make them while you’re still asleep, make them if you wake up feeling rough and listless, make them on a whim because you’ve discovered a rogue lemon on your tree, or better yet, make them to impress someone who thinks they’re a whole lot more complicated than they really are.
Perfect Pikelets
Serves 2
Ingredients
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp caster sugar
1 cup self raising flour
A few sticks of butter (for melting on the pan and for slathering on top of your warm pikelets in five minutes' time)
Maple syrup (or fresh lemons and more caster sugar)
Method
This is too easy! Whisk your milk, egg, caster sugar and flour together in a big jug until it's well combined. Don’t even stress about a few lumps, just give it a good ‘ol whisk for a minute or so.
In a non-stick frying pan, melt a little butter (around 2 tsp)
Pour dollops of your Pikelet mixture (about 1/4 cup at a time) onto the pan. Watch them closely so they don't burn. They're ready to flip over when they have lots of little bubbles on the surface.
Cook on each side, until both sides are brown and delicious looking.
Serve hot, topped with more butter and maple syrup! Or lemon juice and sugar!
Also if you’re going the maple syrup and butter route you should absolutely sprinkle the tiniest bit of salt on top. Don’t believe me? Just try it!