ToriAvey.com contributor Sharon Biggs Waller just released a terrific historical novel called A Mad, Wicked Folly! Here she shares a historical Edwardian recipe that appears in the book.
“I decided to go into the kitchen and snaffle some of our cook’s pikelets. I loved them, and Mrs. Kipling always made them up for afternoon tea.”
– A Mad, Wicked Folly (Viking) by Sharon Biggs Waller.
I first encountered the pikelet when I lived in England. I was watching Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s TV show Treats from the Edwardian Country House, which highlighted goods from the Edwardian era. In the show, Hugh was making the pikelet, a type of pancake enjoyed at teatime. As a writer I loved the word, but I also loved the simplicity of this teacake compared to the other complicated Edwardian recipes such as the elaborate ice cream molds, called bombes, and the molded gelatins, called jellies. Right then I knew that my main character in A Mad, Wicked Folly, Victoria Darling, would adore pikelets. I loved them too, and so I included the recipe in my author’s notes at the back of the book.
Some would say the crumpet and pikelet are the same, especially those from the north of England. But traditionally, crumpets are cooked in a ring, which prevents them from spreading out, so they are thicker. Because pikelets spread out and are thinner, they tend to be crispy on the edges.
According to Merriam-Webster, the origin of the word pikelet stems from the Welsh bara pyglyd or pitchy bread, which was a dark, sticky bread. The word spread north into England and was anglicanized to pikelet.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s recipe calls for fresh yeast (or dried yeast) and cream of tartar, but the self-rising flour in the following recipe simplifies and quickens the process.
Note from Tori: Serve these for breakfast or brunch with a side of homemade scrambled eggs!
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Victoria's Favorite Pikelets
Ingredients
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1/2 cup milk, or more if needed
NOTES
Instructions
- Sift the flour into a medium bowl and stir in the sugar.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and crack in the egg.
- Stir while pouring in the milk slowly until the batter comes together. Add more milk if you want thinner pikelets. (THK Note: We added an extra 1/4 cup of milk here) Stir in butter.
- Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat, and coat with a small amount of cooking oil or spray. Drop a large spoonful of the batter onto the hot skillet. Flip when bubbles appear.
- Cook until browned on both sides. Serve warm pikelets with butter, honey or jam. Stored in a plastic bag, they will keep for up to three days. Best rewarmed before serving.
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Learn more about “A Mad, Wicked Folly” here!
Karen Clark Phelps says
I’ll have to try these, thank you!
Bret Miller says
I would’ve thought that pikelets were small fish. 😉
Eva Gerard says
we have pikelets in Australia every day
Tom Gibson says
I love pancakes but they aren’t that good for you
NY Lon says
best of british
Sheldon Renaissance Kirschbaum says
It’s a pancake.
Charmaine says
No it’s not as they have a different consistency although the ingredients are very similar.
Sharon Biggs Waller says
Hi Carla,
Such a great question! You can pick them up or knife and fork them. I would say finger food is more appropriate because they are eaten like scones.
Debbie Swiatek says
They are very much like pancakes and are very popular down here in New Zealand as well!
Elina Kishinevsky-Stern says
They look just like popular Russian dish ‘оладьи ‘
Carroll Kruger says
They look very similar to pancakes – which isn’t a bad thing!!
Carla says
These look and sound really delish ! Gotta question, please forgive me is it sounds silly…Um, are these considered finger food or are they to be eaten like regular American pancakes with a fork and knife ??
Kimberley Barca says
They look like those english crumpets? Once when I was 10 the local dept store now its Macys it was Kaufmans, had a salute to England and at this little coffee shop had tea and crumpets which my mother always wanted to try! Boy! They were tasty w raspberry jam and butter! Reminded me of an english muffin only more cakeier
Tina Seggie Schnittke says
Aren’t crumpets what is known as English muffins in the U.S,? And the recipe provided for pikelets in the link is basically pancake batter.
Donna Nevitt Bro says
Look basically to be pancakes. Yum yum yum
Ann Domjan says
Should they be picked up of eaten with a fork??
Sharon Biggs Waller says
Pick them up. But no one will judge you if you knife and fork it!
Dawn Donovan says
yummm I like the jam on top of them….they look like pancakes
Maria-Ana Pais-de Azevedo Smith says
I love pike lets…
Tatyana Fanshteyn says
They look like Russian aladi really yummy
Nancy Foulke says
They look like pancakes!
Sharon Biggs Waller says
Hi Nancy, Pikelets are a bit thicker and chewier. A lot of teacakes/breakfast cakes fall under the category of pancakes. For instance, crepes are just a thin version of a pancake. In fact, in England crepes are called pancakes. It’s all confusing but basically it’s all delicious!
Carolyn Hastings says
OMG, soooo good! Especially in the North of England (in the south these are called crumpets), smothered in butter — just when you come in from a cold, wet walk. This is a memory I have from 32 years ago when I met my English in-laws. Especially good toasted on the end of a long fork over the fire!
Maria-Ana Pais-de Azevedo Smith says
Pikelets and crumpets are two different things, although they are similar…
Carolyn Hastings says
There was no discernable difference when I was in England — it was just regional wording.
Carolyn Hastings says
Both yeast risen. I don’t know about the use of the ring — I would have said that the pikelets we purchased in the bakeries were pretty much identical. Anyway, the texture was much different from pancakes, which are baking powder risen.