Eating My Way Through New York City

Lemony Pikelets with Golden Raisins

published about 1 hour ago

Credit: Shilpa Uskokovic

What you call a pikelet (and what exactly it is) can depend on where you live in the world. In the Midlands, north of the United Kingdom and Scotland, pikelets are sometimes known as dropped scones, dropped crumpets, or even griddle cakes. In the south of the U.K., we refer to them as Scotch pancakes. In Australia and New Zealand, pikelets are called pikelets and are often eaten like British scones. My friend from New Zealand said her family used to eat them cold, spread with butter, served with mid-morning tea, and never drizzled with maple syrup.

I have strong memories from when I was growing up in London of packaged Scotch pancakes (aka pikelets) sold in the bakery section of grocery stores . You could buy plain or lemon and sultana (aka golden raisin) varieties; the latter was my ultimate fave! I always used to raid the pantry after school, eating them cold or lightly toasted for a satisfying treat.

I don’t want to offend my Antipodean, British, or Scottish friends, so I have made my own interpretation of a pikelet inspired by my favorite lemon version from my youth. They may look like mini pancakes, but they have a chewy, more robust texture. Imagine if a silver dollar pancake, English scone, and a crumpet had a baby — well, that’s what this is.

Is There a Difference Between Crumpets and Pikelets?

Although there is a vague similarity in the sense they are spread with butter or similar toppings, crumpets and pikelets should not be confused. Crumpets are made from a yeasted batter and have a very spongy, porous texture. Pikelets err on the side of a pancake, although a much less airy and light version.

Credit: Shilpa Uskokovic

Do Pikelets Freeze Well?

Pikelets do freeze well and can be warmed or toasted from frozen. They should be stored at room temperature and not refrigerated, as they can get damp with the condensation, which will affect the texture.

What to Serve with Pikelets

• Butter or whipped butter
• Jam and whipped or clotted cream
• Lemon curd

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Pikelets

Yield Serves 3 to 4 , Makes 12

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 15 minutes to 20 minutes

• shellfish-free
• fish-free
• alcohol-free
• vegetarian
• peanut-free
• pork-free
• pescatarian
• tree-nut-free
• soy-free
• red-meat-free

Per serving, based on 4 servings. (% daily value)

• Calories 289
• Fat 6.1 g (9.4%)
• Saturated 3.3 g (16.4%)
• Carbs 51.5 g (17.2%)
• Fiber 1.9 g (7.6%)
• Sugars 17.7 g
• Protein 8.2 g (16.5%)
• Sodium 353.6 mg (14.7%)

Ingredients

• 1

  large or 2 small lemons

• 1/2 cup

  buttermilk

• 1/2 cup

  whole or 2% milk

• 1

  large egg

• 1 1/4 cups

  all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons

  granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons

  baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon

  kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon

  baking soda

• 2 teaspoons

  unsalted butter

• 6 tablespoons

  golden raisins, divided

• Topping options: regular or whipped butter, lemon curd , whipped cream, clotted cream , or jam

Instructions

1. Finely grate the zest of 1 large or 2 small lemons (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) into a medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup milk, and 1 large egg, and whisk to combine.

2. Place 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Make a well in the center, pour in the milk mixture, and whisk until there are no streaks of flour (a few lumps are fine).

3. Cover the bowl and let rest for 15 minutes at room temperature. Add 4 tablespoons of the golden raisins and gently fold to combine.

4. Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons unsalted butter and swirl to coat. Pour off any excess butter into a small heatproof bowl and set aside. Carefully wipe away most of the butter from the griddle with a paper towel.

5. Drop the batter in 2 heaping-tablespoon piles onto the griddle, spaced 2 inches apart. Immediately sprinkle a few of the remaining golden raisins onto each pikelet. They should spread to around 3 inches in diameter. Cook until a few tiny surface bubbles appear and edges look dry, about 2 minutes. Flip with a flat spatula and cook until the second side is golden and patchy in the center (the edges will remain pale), about 1 minute more.

6. Transfer to a wire rack and loosely tent with aluminum foil to keep warm. Repeat cooking the remaining batter, lightly greasing the pan with the reserved melted butter in between batches as needed. Serve spread with a topping of your choice.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The batter can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Let come to room temperature before cooking. (Otherwise they could come out dense!)

Storage: The pikelets are best stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 to 3 days, or they can be frozen for up to 2 months. Rewarm in a skillet or toasted from frozen, using the frozen function on a toaster.

Tara Holland

Contributor

Tara Holland is a British mom of two teenage girls residing in Brooklyn. She changed her successful career midlife from the financial corporate world to follow her culinary dream and graduated with honors at the Institute of Culinary Education in 2017. She went on to become an Assistant Food Editor at Rachael Ray Every Day magazine, and is now a freelance recipe developer, writer, and recipe tester.

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Source : food