The word that comes to mind when you first lay eyes on a pikelet is, cute. A pikelet is a mini version of a pancake and is prevalent in Australia and New Zealand. It is about 75mm in diameter, roughly about the size of the lid of your canned beans. Add to that a chubby, fluffy demeanour and you have a pikelet. Something that you won’t want to eat because it is oh so cute, but also something you won’t be able to resist.
A typical pikelet is made with self raising flour, egg, milk and sugar. It is almost always pan fried in butter, which makes it all beautiful, crunchy on the outside and golden. Resting the batter for a few minutes after mixing it will result in a pikelet you will want to name "Fluffy!" and sneak into your bed for a snack at night. There are more than a dozen ways to experience this little treat served at afternoon teas all over Australia. But the best and simplest is with a generous sprinkling of raw sugar and a big squeeze of the good old lemon. And it is a breeze to cook. As my son and all his friends at school say Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy!!
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LEMON PIKELETS
Preparation Time – 10 minutes
Cooking Time – 20 minutes
Makes – 12
Ingredients
1 cup self raising flour
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon caster or icing sugar
Zest of 1 small lemon
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter for frying
Raw sugar and lemon wedges to serve
Method
Combine flour, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, egg and milk in a large bowl. Whisk with a hand whisk until smooth for about a minute. Rest batter for 5 minutes.
Heat a heavy bottomed frying pan on high for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. The pan is ready to use when half a teaspoon of butter dropped in it, sizzles. Drop 1 tablespoonful of the batter over the butter in a circle. Watch it for a few seconds. Gently flip it over when bubbles start forming on the surface which will start happening in less than a minute. Cook the other side for a minute or two. Remove from the frying pan and place on a tea towel till ready to serve. Repeat process with the remaining batter.
Serve warm with a sprinkle of raw sugar and a generous squeeze of lemon.
My Notes
The right temperature of the pan is very important. The pan shouldn’t start smoking. That is an indication of overheating and the pikelets will burn. A very low temperature will see the pikelets undercooked and soggy in the middle. Maintaining your cooking temperature at medium and reducing it to medium low as and when required is the best solution.
Don’t flatten and press down on the pikelets while cooking. You want the middle to be thick and spongy almost like a cake.
Dropping 1 tablespoonfuls of batter ensures you get the right pikelet size of about 75mm in diameter.
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Too cute! I love anything lemon, and especially love the petite size of these pikelets. I’m tired of the American pancakes that are as big as dinner plates and stacked a mile high.
You’re right: it’s so cute! : )
I’ve never had a pikelet before, but they look so yummy and I can’t resist… I will try them soon for sure, thank you for the recipe!
Being a New Zealander, my son was taught to make these at around age three. They are kid-friendly, quick to make and delicious with the possibility of an infinite number of toppings.
Yum!!! Now I just have ro steal a lemon from my neighbors tree!!!
very cute indeed!
Sneh these photos are great! I love the grain in the photos too. <3
Really cute, love it!
You’re right, they are so cute! And so much daintier than normal pancakes – I could imagine eating these with my fingers for afternoon tea rather than having to tuck in with a knife and fork!
I love the way you make it sound all so easy and inviting that I want to make them now (almost 11pm)! Thank you :0)
I had never heard of a pikelet before! They looks so so cute. I love how fluffy they look 🙂
Loving every last post these days! I was eyeing your anzac biscuit cookie recipe all weekend. Now to decide which to make first—the pikelets or the cookies?!
I’ve never heard of a pikelet and they are so cute! I’m a big fan of lemon+sugar on pancakes and so these look delicious!
Such little cuties! I have a soft corner in my heart for anything lemony and this I am gonna make next 🙂
Dear Sneh,
Lemon is really such a great flavour for these little pikelets.
Lemon pikelete or pancakes are fantastic. I love the addition of the lemon zest in the batter.
These lemon pikeletes look amazingly delicious. I must try these out for breakfast soon!
Marc Newson by Noritake plates & cups look fabulous in these shots. Thank you for using them :->
Gorgeous Sneh! These remind me of the pikelets my Mum used to make when we were little. The topping of choise was either lemon and sugar or golden syrup. They were always greedily gobbled up.
Your pictures are beautiful- so beautiful that it makes me jealous haha. And hungry. So I think it is a good thing after all 😉
I didn’t know about pinkelets..but I really already love them! Maybe I will introduce them in Italy! 🙂