How to Make Pikelets (and colour them naturally)

Pikelets are the perfect snack for any time of the day. They're simple and cheap to make, and almost every kids love them. Keen to learn how to make pikelets and colour them using natural ingredients? Read on, friends.

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You'll need:

• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 50g / 1.75oz butter, melted
• 1 cup self-raising flour

How to make pikelets:

1. Whisk buttermilk, egg, sugar, vanilla essence and butter in a large bowl.
2. Pop in the flour and stir to combine. Make sure you don’t overmix.
3. Divide the batter evenly in 4 small bowls or mugs.
4. Drop a little food colour (refer to blog post – link in bio) into each bowl and mix to make your fave colour combos.
5. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest.
6. Lightly grease a skillet with oil, wipe off any excess with paper towel and place over medium heat.
7. Spoon tablespoons of batter into pan.
8. Cook, in batches, for 1–2 minutes each side or until golden.

Let’s colour the pikelets with food.

To make yellow, you'll need:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

What to do:

1. In a small saucepan, boil the water and turmeric for 3– 5 minutes.
2. Cool completely before using.

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To make green, you'll need:

• 2 cups spinach leaves

What to do:

1. Add spinach leaves to a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover the leaves.
2. Boil for 1 minute, and then reduce heat to very low heat and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Allow the water to cool, and then strain it through cheesecloth or a wire mesh strainer.
4. Cool completely before using.

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To make red, you'll need:

• 3 beetroots

What to do:

1. Slice beetroot into bite-sized chunks.

2. Place in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and then reduce heat and simmer until the beetroots are tender and there’s only a couple of tablespoons of water remaining. This is your food colouring.

3. Save the cooked beetroot to make a yummy tart or salad for lunch.

4. Cool completely before using.

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To make purple, you'll need:

• 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup water

What to do:

1. Add the blueberries and water to a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring to a boil, and give the berries a good mash before reducing the heat and simmering for 10 minutes.
3. Take off the heat and steep for 5 minutes.
4. Strain the berries, reserving the liquid.
5. Cool completely before using.

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To make blue, you'll need:

• 1 small red cabbage
• 1/4 tsp bicarb soda

What to do:

1. Chop up cabbage, pop in a medium saucepan and cover with water.
2. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes, until the water turns deep purple.
3. Remove the cabbage and strain the liquid.
4. Add bicarb soda and the liquid will turn from purple to blue.
5. Cool completely before using.

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How to Make Pikelets recipe and photos by Kate Berry for Lunch Lady Magazine Issue 4.