This wholesome pancake recipe gives you fabulous quick & easy to make little pikelets. Whip a batch and top with savoury goodies or have as a healthy alternative to sweet treats. They are nutrient dense, and devoid of added sugar and refined white flour.
Topped or filled, they are handy to have on hand for breakfast, to fill lunch boxes or have as a snack.
I've taken a basic recipe and SWAPPED refined wheat flour with an organic buckwheat & spelt wholemeal flour and added some healthy and nourishing goodies such as chia seeds and almonds. Spelt is an ancient grain and tho is contains gluten some people with gluten intolerances can eat it . Note that it has a high gluten content which can create a 'tough' pancake.
BEAUTY BOOST:
So many skin loving goodies packed into one delicious meal. Wholegrains contain B vitamins that are required for every aspect of metabolism in your skin, without them your complexion will have a dull appearance as the skin cells can't regenerate quickly. The seeds and nuts contain skin vital essential fatty acids (esp. harder-to-get omega 3) and key beauty mineral antioxidants (zinc, magnesium, calcium & selenium) and vitamin E.
RECIPE
YOU'LL NEED.....
Serves 4 | 10mins go-to-wo
batter
1 cup organic buckwheat flour (or use 1/2 buckwheat & half wholemeal spelt flour)
1 tablspn
chia seeds
2 tablspn almond meal
1 tspn baking powder
1
egg
1 cup milk (add slightly less then use remaining if needed)
dollop butter to cook the first round.
TO MAKE....
- Add dry ingredients to bowl. Mix well with a ballon whisk.
- Add egg and milk. Whisk til well combined.
- Turn heat on medium high, into a cast iron fry pan add a knob of butter, add a small ladles of batter mix.
- Cook until surface of pancake has lots of little holes on the surface, then flip with a spatula.
- Turn on to a plate with paper towel. Stack them up and if eating immediately, keep warm in an oven (cover with foil to keep moist and soft)
- Store in an airtight tub for a day or 2 or freeze for later.
TIPS & TRICKS
- Depending on what flour you use, you may need to increase the milk a bit. Also, if the batter sits for a while it thickens as chia seeds swell up to 10 times the original size. So, it's a little trial and error til you get the right feel on the thickness of the batter: it is very forgiving.
- You can substitute some of the milk with sour cream or buttermilk to make lighter and fluffier.
- Why not try using a nut milk?
-
You can add other ingredients to the batter change the flavour or boost the fibre or nutrient content. Eg 1 tspn vanilla or 1 tbspn walnut oil or 1 tblspn wheatgerm or wheat bran.
- Don't over mix or you will toughen the batter.
TO SERVE
sweet (ideas)
- For breakfast on a plate I love to serve them with fruit: natural yoghurt, muesli. maple syrup and cinnamon
- Another idea is..whilst cooking, add slices of apple or pear and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve with maple syrup & yoghurt + a seedy cereal topper.
- Or make a berry compote by cooking 1/2 cup frozen blueberries and 1/2 cup raspberries with 1/4 cup water & a couple table spoons of sugar or a few drops of stevia. Cook ingredients til liquid reduces and thickens - takes about 10 minutes.
- Unless you are a purest, you can be a little naughty like me and add sugar to the cinnamon as it is easier to sprinkle and tastes yummy! At most you're only adding 1/4 teaspoon to your plate so it's a guilt free choice for me.
- For kids lunch boxes or an on the go snack: butter and a smear of honey
savoury (ideas)
You can top or 'sandwich' together the pikelets with
- creamy goats cheese + fresh thyme leaves, S&P
- or sour cream, smoked salmon & capers, S&P
- or hummus + ripes tomatoes, S&P, drizzle of olive oil
- or avocado and rocket, S&P, drizzle of olive oil
