Unbeatable Tauhei pikelets
Nothing beats a plate of warm pikelets, slathered with butter, raspberry jam and a dollop of cream.
I have a splendid, fool-proof recipe, from my mother-in-law Gwen, who was majestic in the kitchen. She could whip up enough scones and club sandwiches to feed an army of hay makers, with nary a blink.
A real goodie
Her recipe is from the Women’s Division of Federated Farmers of New Zealand Cookery Book. I was just five when it came out, brand spanking new in 1965. It’s faded and stained, but is the go-to-source when bottling, cooking or baking.
The one recipe I always return to is Tauhei pikelets. Possibly because Tauhei is just down the road, but probably because these never fail to rise and are light as air and taste grand.
Easy baking
They take minutes to whip up, and are perfect for when friends drop by. One tip from Gwen – once you’ve made your pikelet mix, don’t stir it. Carefully take spoonfuls out, trying to disturb the mixture as little as possible. I pop my finished pikelets on to a bit of paper towel before transferring.
They are said to keep well in the freezer, but mine get gobbled up as soon as they hit a serving plate.
A real rural treat.
TAUHEI PIKELETS
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten
Small cup milk
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp baking powder
- Put flour into a bowl and add the salt, sugar, egg and milk. Mix together.
- Heat the butter in a small pan, once it is boiling add the baking powder and mix together well.
- Add this to the flour mixture, stir together then cook on a buttered pan.
And, for a touch of sunshine, click on this to see some lovely Tauhei sunflowers.
Could the magic be in par-cooking the baking powder in the butter?
Positively into the recipe book ready to test on visitors expected tomorrow.
And so many thanks!
We await your feedback. How did they turn out? (Actually, I must own up here – I had typed the recipe into my new ipad a while back, and for some reason, wrote down to boil the milk and add baking powder to that. They tasted okay, but boy, they didn’t rise. It really pays to copy things correctly! Or to use one’s old well-thumbed cook book!)
just love the old recipes
Nothing beats time honoured recipes, in my kitchen at any rate!
If you say the word pikelit then I immediate think of Audrey Litt and how she was “world famous” in Taupiri for the pkelits that she made. I never think of myself as “getting on” but that was 50 years ago when I played with her son Colin at school and with the invincible Taupiri barefooted rugby team that grew up togeather. It was what we would call now comfort food – an idea of home warmth or places past. The article on TAUHEI PIKELETS brings out all those menories of foods that either you dont see for a long time, or suddenly its fashionable because someone like Jamie Oliver ‘discovered” it.
Right now this very minute I am thinking of hot corned beef with white sauce. Who nowadays makes white sauce with corned beef.
I know that when I take this reciept to my Ukranian Wife in Sydney she will simply tell me these are Belini (small Russian pancakes) and as well as telling me which of her Grandmothers or Neighbours made the best Belini, she will send me to the Russian Deli in Bondi Road to buy Caviar and Sour Cream to go with the Belini (opps sorry TAUHEI PIKELETS) – wipped cream and jam seemed so much simpler.
Nice memories Gavin, thanks for that! Pikelets will always be a winner, and I’d make you up a batch now but believe you’re in Australia? Easy to make, very easy to eat. Can’t believe they sell pikelet and pancake instant mix in the supermarkets! The brother-in-law just dropped off some home-kill meat – we’ve got quite a bit of corned beef. I have some great old-time recipes for this, so looking forward to some slow cooking. The Taupiri barefoot rugby team sound wonderful – bet they would demolish a bucket of pikelets and an entire corned beef! Hm… caviar and sour cream you say? Yeah, nah! Cream ‘n raspberry jam.