Description
Delicious cheese and ham pancakes, also known as pikelets, fluffy and savory, packed with cheddar, chopped ham, and fresh scallions. Perfect for a hearty breakfast or a satisfying snack, served warm with creamy sour cream and extra toppings.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup / 150 g plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Wet Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 215 ml / 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp milk
Main Mix-ins
- 1 1/4 cups / 150 g grated cheddar cheese
- 1 1/4 cups / 225 g chopped ham
- 1 1/2 cups shallots / scallions, finely sliced (about 4 stalks)
Cooking
- 2 – 3 tbsp butter
To Serve
- Sour cream (highly recommended, or use yoghurt)
- Extra chopped shallots
- Extra chopped ham, cooked
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Stir them together to distribute the leavening agent and seasoning evenly throughout the flour.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Create a well in the center of the dry mixture. Crack in the egg and pour in the milk. Mix gently until the flour is incorporated with just a few small lumps remaining; the batter should be soft but not overmixed.
- Incorporate Cheese, Ham, and Shallots: Fold in the grated cheddar, chopped ham, and finely sliced shallots until evenly combined, resulting in a thick batter with a dropping consistency.
- Preheat Pan: Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, or medium if your stovetop runs hot, ensuring the pan is hot enough for cooking the pancakes evenly.
- Cook Extra Ham (optional): If you want a crispy topping, cook extra chopped ham in 1 teaspoon butter until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.
- Prepare to Pan-Fry: Add about 2 teaspoons of butter to the hot pan and swirl it around to coat the surface evenly for the first batch of pancakes.
- Cook Pancakes: Pour approximately 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and gently spread to a 7 cm (3 inch) circle. You can cook multiple pancakes at once depending on your pan size (3 for a small pan, 4 for a large one).
- First Side Cooking: Let the pancakes cook for about 2 minutes until the underside develops a deep golden color. Do not wait for bubbles to form as they typically do in traditional pancakes because these have added ingredients.
- Flip and Continue Cooking: Flip the pancakes carefully and cook the other side for 1 1/2 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove and keep warm on a rack.
- Repeat: Add a little more butter to the pan and continue cooking remaining batter in batches.
- Serve: Serve the pancakes warm with generous dollops of sour cream, topped with extra crispy ham and chopped shallots for added flavor and texture.
Notes
- The batter is best when it has a dropping consistency—not too runny or stiff—to ensure the pancakes cook evenly and remain tender.
- Using good quality sharp cheddar cheese imparts a nice tangy flavor to the pancakes.
- Cooking the extra ham until golden adds a wonderful savory crunch as a topping.
- These pancakes do not produce bubbles during cooking due to the cheese and ham content, so timing by color and feel is key.
- Serve immediately for best texture, or keep warm on a rack in a low oven if cooking in batches.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Australian
Keywords: cheese ham pancakes, pikelets, savory pancakes, breakfast pancakes, cheddar ham scallion pancakes
