Lets Eat - An Australian Bush Smoko

Welcome, new readers on your journey around the world on Amy's Let's Eat Blog Hop (and g'day to regular readers as well..heheh, turning on the Aussie slang this morning!).

 

If you are on the Blog Hop, you should have arrived here from the depths of Sussex, in the UK - a vastly different locale from where I am writing - outback Queensland, Australia.

 

Firstly, let me define SMOKO for you.  It is NOT, up here in the bush, a cigarette break (as a Sydney friend once thought) although the origin of the term for us does go back to shearers taking a break for morning/afternoon tea and a smoke. For all of us in the bush (or outback) smoko means morning tea (or afternoon) - a cup of tea or beverage of choice, and something to eat.  And let me tell you, after a LONG mornings work in the cattle yards, the call "Righto, lets have smoko!" is quite a welcome one! (actually, its welcome at any time, no matter the task, especially if there is a good cook in residence!)

 

So, smoko is a break from work for a drink and something to eat, and if you at my mum's place, that involves yummy fruit cake and/or anzac biscuits and/or some other yummy slice.  But at my place, with kids eating me out of house and home, the supply of baked delights tends to low on a regular basis.  However, on an occasional Sunday, when the stars align and The Husband is home (and therefore the kids are not underfoot and are out of the house annoying him spending some quality time over the shed with their father, I will whip up a big batch of pikelets.

 

I have tried a few different recipes in my day, with buttermilk and other different ingredients, but I keep coming back to this one. Quick to prepare (although if you wander off to through a load of washing in the machine when the sugar and eggs are mixing, it will be all the better!)

 

Some tips - I tend to make a stiffer batter, so that the pikelet will not spread all over the pan, and be nice and thick.  Easy to flip over a nice smallish pikelet than a wide flappy thin one, from my experience.  And depending on your pan,  I find an even, medium heat to be best.  The first batch in tends to be a little rough looking while I adjust the heat to the right setting, and the pan seasons properly (which leads me to add - season with butter. Real butter). The best way to enjoy these is warm, with butter and golden syrup spread over, and dripping down your fingers!  But of course, could be also served with whipped cream and jam, if you are being a bit fancy.  I've tripled this recipe and fed a crowd of hungry helpers at calf-branding time down at our cattle property - I made the batter the night before, put it in the fridge.  When I got there (our property being a hour or so drive from where we live)  I cooked them on the flat plate of the barbeque (no power on the property for electric frypans) and I have to say, there wasn't a great pile on a serving plate - they were getting eaten straight off the BBQ.  But a single batch is enough to feed our family for morning smoko, with a few left over for the kids to have later on that afternoon, cold. There wasn't a lot of styling or preparation going into the above photo, otherwise I would have a. shut that cupboard door and b. shifted that pile of washing that needed folding from the day bed behind my husband! I just sat the camera on a cupboard across the room and sat down to enjoy some pikelets before the kids and husband ate em all!

 

BEST EVER SIMPLE PIKELETS (single size batch)

2 eggs 1 cup milk 1 1/2 cups Self Rising Flour (1/4 cup less if you like a runny batter) 1/2 cup sugar Vanilla to taste. Beat eggs until light and fluffy, add sugar and continue beating. Beat in milk and vanilla, then add flour and mix to form a smooth batter.  Spoon onto hot frypan/plate, turning as bubbles form.

 

That's all there is to it.  And if you do have left overs, they seem to freeze well too.  Just double or triple quantities as required.

 

Now, for the next stop (and final I think) in the Lets Eat blog hop, head over to Alexa  on the other side of the world (back to the UK) and check out her wonderful writing, and no doubt scrumptious recipe!