Also, there's something in the Old Testament regarding bread that I've always wondered about. (How in the world...?) Have any of you been curious about it, too?
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Now, the recipe. If you don't have a friendly Australian to explain: pikelets are similar to pancakes, but with a sturdier, denser texture. Pancakes tend to be light and fluffy (-ish), to be savored with maple syrup, etc. Pikelets, on the other hand, are perfect for spreading with things like whipped cream and jam...or chocolate with thin fruit slices...or savory toppings. They tend to be a little sweeter than pancakes, and are basically a finger-food, while pancakes tend to be eaten with a fork.
Although plain pikelets work as a base for things like individual strawberry shortcakes (yum!), these have a lovely orange flavor that make them delicious on their own...but use your imagination! (I'll tell you how to make orange pancakes with a couple easy changes to the recipe.) I use rice flour, but feel free to experiment with other gluten-free flours to see what happens!😊)
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Gluten-Free Orange Pikelets
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened (it's better for beating when it's really soft)
1/3 - 1/2 cup sugar or to taste (or equivalent in other sweeteners)
2 eggs
3/4 cup strained pure orange juice
1 1/2 cups rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
finely grated orange peel (if fresh, about 1/2 an orange; if dried, 1 - 2 teaspoons)
3/4 - 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
(depending on the flours used, you may need a bit more liquid to make the batter manageable; you can use a couple tablespoons of milk or plain yogurt)
Beat the first two well with a wire whisk, til creamy-ish. Add the rest, alternating dry and liquid ingredients, to make it easier to beat.
Bake them on a lightly-greased griddle over a low-to-medium flame (depends on your particular stove). Watch carefully. I've had them get a little too dark more quickly than I expected. Cook as for regular pancakes. They work best (for me) dropping only small amounts of batter on the griddle, with space between them, so they can rise and spread a bit.
To make gluten-free orange pancakes: use only about 4 tablespoons sugar or equivalent sweetener, only 1/4 c. softened butter, and add either another egg or several tablespoons extra liquid (milk, yogurt, orange juice, etc.), to thin the batter down. Cook as usual.
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NOW...here are two Bible verses that set the context for my "how in the world?" intrigue:
"Gideon went inside, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast...he brought them out to him under the oak." (Judges 6:19)
"So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs of the finest flour and knead it and bake some bread." (Genesis 18:6)
Why did they use so much flour? I found out that an ephah was about 93 cups in today's measurements. Imagine working with about 23 pounds of flour!* (Professional bakers aside!) It would take ages just to measure it, not to mention to mix the other ingredients in. Gideon used 23 pounds of flour to make bread for one single guest! (And the guest didn't even eat it...after all that work!)
The seah was about 7.3-7.7 liters. Abraham asked his wife to make bread, measuring out around six gallons of flour! It must have taken hours. And for only three guests!
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Thankfully, there are much more important things in life than bread, right? As Jesus our Savior said:
"Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4)
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(*Actually, a bit more. White flour has 4 cups to a pound, but theirs would have been a little heavier, with a slightly lower cups/pound ratio.)
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