New Zealand Pikelets

Small, fluffy New Zealand griddle cakes, cooked until bubbles burst and served warm.

Preparation: 8 min · Cooking: 12 min · Total: 20 min · 4 servings

Ingredients

• 150 g self-raising wheat flour — Contains wheat/gluten and raising agent.
• 1 pc egg — Use 1 large egg.
• 180 ml milk
• 50 g white sugar
• 10 g butter

Instructions

1. Sift the flour

   Sift 150 g self-raising wheat flour into a mixing bowl. Have a whisk, tablespoon, non-stick frying pan, spatula and clean plate ready. Self-raising flour already contains raising agent; do not substitute plain flour without adding a suitable raising agent.

2. Beat the egg and sugar

   In a second bowl, whisk 1 egg with 50 g white sugar for 1–2 minutes until pale and slightly thick. Wash hands and utensils after handling raw egg; do not taste the raw batter.

3. Make the batter

   Pour the egg mixture and about 180 ml milk into the flour. Fold gently just until no dry flour remains; a few small lumps are fine. The batter should drop slowly from a tablespoon. Do not beat until completely smooth, which makes the pikelets tough.

4. Cook the first side

   Warm a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Melt about half of the 10 g butter and spread it thinly. Drop separate tablespoons of batter into the pan, leaving room to turn them. Cook the first side for about 1–2 minutes, until bubbles appear and start to burst and the edges look set. Lower the heat if the bottoms brown before the tops bubble.

   Cook the first side: 90 seconds

5. Turn and cook the second side

   Turn each pikelet once with a spatula. Cook the second side for about 1 minute, until golden and the centre is set. Add the remaining butter sparingly between batches and repeat with the remaining batter.

6. Check and transfer

   Split one pikelet from the first batch: the middle must be fluffy and fully cooked, with no wet batter. For an egg-dish temperature check, the centre should reach 71°C. If still wet or below 71°C, return it to the pan over low heat and check again. Transfer cooked pikelets to a clean plate, not one used for raw batter.

   Golden on both sides, fluffy and set inside, with no wet batter; 71°C at the centre if measured.

7. Serve and store safely

   Serve the pikelets warm, plain or with a separately supplied topping such as jam or cream. They contain wheat/gluten, egg and milk. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container within 2 hours (within 1 hour above 32°C); use within 3 days. Reheat leftovers to 74°C before serving.

Tips

• Use medium-low heat so the centres cook before the surfaces darken.

Common mistakes

• Overmixing toughens pikelets; turning before bubbles burst can leave the centres raw.

Substitutions

• If using plain flour, add a measured raising agent; it is not a direct one-for-one substitution for self-raising flour.

Storage

Refrigerate covered within 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C); use within 3 days.

Reheating

Reheat leftovers to 74°C throughout before serving.

About this recipe

Pikelets are small pan-cooked cakes familiar in New Zealand home baking and afternoon tea; this version follows the classic bubble-and-turn method.

Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.