Jam-Filled Pikelets

Tasty jam-filled pikelets which are perfect for lunch boxes.

jam-filled pikelets on wooden board

Swiss Eating Habits

My son started kindergarten last summer and, like in many Swiss schools, it is customary for the children to sit down to a hot lunch each day at a shared table. This practice starts as early as daycare where the children are taught to remain seated at the table, to develop social skills when eating, to clear their plates and put away their cutlery after a meal, and, above all else, good table manners.

It is in stark contrast to my upbringing in Australia where lunch was often a home-packed cheese and Vegemite sandwich with a frozen apple and blackcurrant popper, eaten under a shady tree in the school playground!

jam-filled pikelets with pot of jam

Every Monday morning, I always look forward to seeing the weekly menu at the daycare and kindergarten because I am constantly amused by how grown-up the menus are; they often sound better than the menus at my office and they are probably even more nutritious!

Lunch is always a hot meal – sometimes pasta, sometimes rice, sometimes homemade pizza. There are always two salads on offer, and even the afternoon tea is planned out in advance.

For example, this is what my daughter ate at daycare yesterday:

Morning Tea
Brioche
Chopped fruit

Lunch
Couscous with chicken and vegetable tagine
Grated carrot salad
Spinach salad with raisins

Afternoon Tea
Natural yoghurt with apricot halves (Falsche Spiegeleier or false fried eggs)
Rice crackers

jam-filled pikelets on metal plate

Morning Tea

The menu at my son’s Kindergarten is not so different, except that I am required to pack his morning tea everyday. I ought to be grateful that I don’t ever have to pack his lunch, yet his morning tea box remains a constant source of stress for me!

The school’s guideline is to simply pack a healthy morning tea, with no sugary or sweet food.

At first, I was very enthusiastic about letting him snack on chopped apples and homemade oatmeal and raisin cookies … until he was told that the latter were not permitted, even though I had drastically reduced the sugar content when making them. Yet, when I asked my son what the other children were eating, it seemed that yoghurt with caramel bits were permitted? Hmmm …

So, until otherwise advised, I continue to pack my son’s morning tea with what I think amounts to a healthy and nutritious snack, and with food which I feel comfortable with him eating at school.

I don’t think sugar should be completely banned – the children need energy after all, and they benefit from snacks which include, for example, honey and dried fruits. I should also add that the children are required to brush their teeth after every lunch, thereby reducing the risk of cavities – again, another stark contrast to my own upbringing in Australia.

Generally speaking, I think pikelets fall into the category of healthy snacks. Pikelets are small Australian pancakes, commonly referred to as drop scones in the UK. If you look at my recipe for pikelets, it only uses 1 teaspoon of sugar in a batter which makes about 20 pikelets. Plus, my children tend to eat their pikelets plain, which means there is no added sugar. So, in my opinion, pikelets are a guilt-free snack.

jam-filled pikelets on wooden board with jam

Jam-Filled Pikelets

It is, of course, a different matter once you slather jam and cream onto a pikelet, like I always do! And when I came across a recipe for jam-filled pikelets in the January issue of Super Food Ideas, I thought it was indeed a brilliant idea!

Here, I have used my faithful pikelet recipe from Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook’s Companion, but I have adapted the method slightly to include a small dollop of jam in the middle of each pikelet.

These jam-filled pikelets are simply perfect as a snack on-the-go, and I am going to be brave and pack some for my son’s morning tea tomorrow.

I have made his pikelets with just the smallest drop of jam in each – it can’t be worse than a jam sandwich, right?? And, oh, his batch was also made with half wholemeal flour, just in case his teacher has some doubts about their nutritional value. Teamed with some freshly cut fruit and a tub of natural yoghurt, these jam-filled pikelets can only be healthy, right?

Or to put it another way, there could be far unhealthier foods to eat 😉

What do you serve to your children for morning or afternoon tea? I would love to have some more ideas!

What to Serve with Pikelets

If you like to make your own jam, may I suggest one of the following as a delicious accompaniment or filling to these pikelets?

Apricot Jam

Peach & Raspberry Jam

Strawberry Jam

jam-filled pikelets cut on metal plate

Print
jam-filled pikelets

Jam-Filled Pikelets

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5 from 5 reviews

  • Author: eatlittlebird.com
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: Makes 20 pikelets

Tasty jam-filled pikelets which are perfect for lunch boxes.

Ingredients

  • 100 g (3/4 cup) plain flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • tiny pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 125 ml (1/2 cup) full cream milk
  • some butter
  • raspberry or strawberry jam

Instructions

  1. Measure the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar, salt and sugar into a medium-sized mixing bowl.
  2. Whisk the egg and milk together in a measuring jug.
  3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until the mixture is smooth. If you think the batter is too thick, add a dash of milk to thin the batter.
  4. Heat a non-stick frying pan or crêpe pan over medium heat.
  5. Drop a small amount of butter into the pan and wipe it around the pan with some kitchen paper.
  6. Using a tablespoon measure (15-20 ml) or large spoon, pour small drops of batter into the pan. For this recipe, I find it easiest to make 3 pikelets at a time.
  7. Quickly drop about 1/4 teaspoon of jam (or more) into the middle of each pikelet, and then use about a teaspoon of batter to cover the jam.
  8. As soon as small bubbles start to appear on the surface, flip the pikelets over and cook for a further minute or so. The pikelets should be evenly coloured and lightly golden on both sides.
  9. Remove the pikelets to a silicon tortilla or pancake warmer until all of the batter has been used.
  10. The pikelets can be served warm or cold.
  11. Any leftover pikelets can be kept on a plate covered in clingfilm and stored in a cool place.

Kitchen Notes

  1. You can use 1 teaspoon of baking powder in place of the 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar in this recipe.
  2. You can substitute the plain flour for wholemeal flour, or use half of each.
  3. I recommend doubling the recipe – these pikelets disappear very quickly!

Nutrition

  • Calories: 32
  • Sugar: 1.6g
  • Sodium: 123.2mg
  • Fat: 0.6g
  • Carbohydrates: 5.6g
  • Fiber: 0.2g
  • Protein: 1g
  • Cholesterol: 10.2mg

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15 comments

  1. Jenni 2 February 2018

    Oh my gosh, these look so fun and delicious! My kids would not stop eating them!

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 11 February 2018

      Thank you! My children don’t normally eat jam with their pikelets, but it was a different matter with the pikelets already filled with jam – they absolutely loved it!

      Reply
  2. Jane 2 February 2018

    I’m all for kids eating well but seriously?!!!
    PS these look yummy, and if you’re son’s not allowed them, can I have one?

    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 11 February 2018

      Children generally eat very healthily in Switzerland, so I’m not too surprised by how strict they are at school with snacks and the like. But sometimes they will see something like a cookie and instantly assume that it is loaded with sugar. Luckily, the teachers saw no issue with these pikelets at snack time 🙂

      Reply
  3. Lisa | Garlic + Zest 2 February 2018

    I love the idea of schools treating lunch as another learning experience… Manners, healthy food, kind social interaction. Here in the states, the lunches are an abomination for kids. I always made lunch for my daughter because the schools served pizzas and hot dogs. These pikelets look delicious — definitely want to try them.






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 11 February 2018

      I must admit that I was very surprised by the lunchtime routine here in Switzerland. It’s so reassuring to know that they all sit down to a proper hot lunch each day with carefully planned out snacks. Of course, birthdays are celebrated with chocolate cake and lollies, and the children are treated to ice-cream in summer and the like. But for the most part, they have a very healthy diet here.

      Reply
  4. Rebecca 2 February 2018

    These look amazing!

    Reply
  5. Marisa 2 February 2018

    These look so fun. And I’d never heard of pikelets before – love learning something new!






    Reply
    • Eat, Little Bird 11 February 2018

      I think pikelets are an Australian thing 😉 If you love pancakes, you will love these mini pikelets!

      Reply
  6. 2pots2cook 16 February 2018

    Truly enjoy reading your posts ! Thank you so much !






    Reply
  7. Julia 16 April 2018

    Very tasty! And quite original! I definitely want to try it! Thank you for the recipe!






    Reply
  8. Ariasmith 28 April 2018

    It looks so yummy and very simple.I can’t wait to try,Thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply
  9. Maggie 7 October 2022

    These look & sound amazing! I’ve lived in the US my whole life, so having tea at school was pretty much nonexistent. We had snack time, but the teachers provided stuff like Goldfish and pretzels.






    Reply