Monday, April 7, 2014

Vegan carrot cake pikelets, for Australia's Biggest Morning Tea

I have 6 other pikelet recipes on Bite-Sized Thoughts, but after making this carrot cake variety I may never go back to them again. I feel like I have reached the pinnacle of pikelets. It is a delectable place to be.


For those of you who aren't familiar with Australian pikelets, they are small, fluffy pancakes that generally include a raising agent and some form of sweetener within the batter. They are delicious hot and cold, and also store well over several days. I have chosen this carrot cake batch to showcase Australia's Biggest Morning Tea, which is coming up in May but had an opening launch in Perth last week.

Australia's Biggest Morning Tea launch, with Anna Gare, Herb Faust and Sam Longley
(photo courtesy of the Cancer Council)

As many of you will know, Australia's Biggest Morning Tea is an annual campaign run by the Cancer Council to promote awareness of, and fundraising for, cancer. The official Biggest Morning Tea date is the 22nd May, but you can host a morning tea (or afternoon tea, or breakfast, or dinner!) any time in May or June and still take part. The event website, http://www.biggestmorningtea.com.au/, has lots more information, including details of how to host a morning tea and recipe ideas for the occasion.


I'd like to think that these pikelets would be a welcome addition to a Biggest Morning Tea event. I can attest that they are an excellent morning tea in their own right. With minimal preparation time, carrot cake flavours and natural sweeteners, there is a lot that I love in this recipe. If you like pikelets, I hope you enjoy them too.

Carrot cake pikelets
Light and fluffy, these pikelets will appeal to children and adults alike
Vegan and low fat
Makes 16 small pikelets

Author: Bite-sized thoughts


Ingredients
1/2 cup plain wheat flour
1/2 cup wholemeal spelt flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chia seeds
1 cup non-dairy milk
1/3 cup apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 medium-large carrot, grated
1/4 cup sultanas (small raisins) or currants

Method
Combine the flours, baking powder, cinnamon and chia seeds in a mixing bowl. Add the milk, apple sauce and vanilla and stir well to combine. Add the carrot and sultanas / currants and stir to incorporate. Allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes or so.

Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and grease with oil if desired. Add heaped dessertspoons of your batter to the pan, cooking several pikelets at once if pan size permits. 

Allow the pikelets to cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Serve warm or cold, plain or with toppings.


Have you ever participated in a fundraising 'biggest morning tea' style event?

14 comments:

  1. I love the idea of hosting a morning tea for charity!! And these pikelets sound like the perfect way to go about it. Carrot cake is my favorite cake, and I am sure I would love it in these!

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    1. I wish more charities promoted morning tea fundraising events - I think it's a really fun way to raise funds!

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  2. Love those pikelets - tried some with grated apple and they weren't that great but I think I am game for grated carrot - they look so cute and orange - not sure I will be doing the biggest morning tea - though I might manage the smallest :-) Do you top these with anything - I am guessing nut butter :-)

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    1. You know me well ;) Nut butter is definitely what I'd put on these, although in truth, I ate this batch plain. I loved them that much!

      With Sylvia and dolly and dolly's friends, I'm sure you'd be in the running for at least a medium morning tea ;)

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  3. Love them! Will try these, hopefully my little ones will like them too. I make pikelets and pancakes pretty often but haven't used apple sauce before, or carrots for that matter :)

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    1. I love both bits! Apple sauce is one of my favourite things to throw in baked goods no matter what the recipe is :)

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  4. The Pinnacle of Pikelets, that's what the post should have been called Kari :-)

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    1. Oh, it should have! I wish I'd titled it that way now...

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  5. We have a similar event here- though I think it's billed as a "Coffee morning". Such a fun way to raise money for charity :)
    I need to try all your pikelet recipes, especially this one. I learnt the word on Johanna's blog as we called them "drop scones" growing up when we had them for special afternoon teas!

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    1. I grew up thinking pikelets were an English thing so it really took me by surprise when I discovered the term was Australian! I am looking forward to trying your 'drop scones' when I get over there and comparing the two :D

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  6. Your pikelets look really good. I can't believe I don't have a pikelet recipe on my blog! I love how these are carrot cake with some spice and dried fruit. These would be so lovely straight from the pan with some butter xx

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    1. They were so lovely straight from the pan that far fewer than intended made it to be eaten later!

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  7. I really like the biggest morning tea. I've only been to a few but they are a lot of fun. Charlie hasn't done a pikelet post on her blog - I can beat that. I've never eaten a pikelet and I've been in Australia for 20 years! I shall begin with this recipe!

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    1. Excellent! And given how beautiful your crepes and pancakes are, I have no doubt you'll make some attractive pikelets too :)

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