The Back Yard Lemon Tree

I’m not sure whether to call these little pancakes buckwheat pikelets or blini. I’ve changed up my tried and true pikelet recipe, from Margaret Fulton and used half a buckwheat and half spelt flour. Traditionally blini are yeasted pancakes but these little buckwheat pikelets are a no fuss way to make blinis using baking powder.

You can eat these pancakes the pikelet way with butter and honey or jam, or eat them as blini with savoury toppings. I topped my savoury blinis with cream cheese and vegan carrot lox. It was the first time I’ve made carrot lox . I don’t know whether it’s the visuals or the taste but carrot really does make for a convincing mock smoked salmon. There are a lot of different recipes out there for carrot lox but I made this one from Love and Lemons. The carrots are baked whole in salt, then peeled into strips before being marinated. It was so good and made an excellent sandwich filling during the week.

Buckwheat pikelets

• 1/2 cup of spelt or all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons of sugar (I used monkfruit sugar)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of milk (soy, almond or oat milk work here)
• 30g butter (melted and cooled slightly)
• Extra butter for cooking

1. In a medium bowl mix together flours, baking powder, salt and sugar.
2. In a small bowl mix together milk, egg and then melted butter.
3. Make a well in the flour, gradually pour in milk mixture and whisk until batter is smooth.
4. Heat griddle or cast iron pan. Grease pan with butter and drop small spoonfuls of batter onto pan. Cook until bubbles appear in batter and pancake is golden brown. Flip over and cook on the otherside. If serving warm wrap picklets in a tea towel and serve with butter and honey or jam.