I just love berry season... don't you? Strawberries are one of my favourite berries because they are so versatile. They are in abundance at the moment and I picked a few punnets up cheap at Woolworth's the other day and wondered what I could use them in.

A few recipes flitted through my mind - homemade strawberry jam... hmm to much work, strawberry sorbet... mmm not really hot enough yet, chocolate dipped strawberries... mmm maybe... then I thought what I love strawberries most on... Pikelets! So I thought why not combine the chocolate factor and make Chocolate pikelet stacks with strawberries and cream... Perfect.

This makes a great dessert option, it is very easy and quick to make. The pikelets can be made in advance and frozen for later use. It would also make a decadent morning or afternoon tea along side a nice cappuccino or cup of tea.

If strawberries aren't your thing you could swap them for some fresh raspberries or blueberries.... but they won't be as cheap as strawberries (or as good).

The trick to making uniformed sized pikelets is to use greased egg rings to cook the mixture in. Another tip also is to keep the temperature on the lower end of the scale when cooking the pikelets, the chocolate mixture tends to burn easier.

Chocolate Pikelet Stack

{Download & Print Recipe}

Makes 4-5 Stacks

Ingredients:

2 x eggs

½ cups castor sugar

Pinch of salt

1 cup of milk

1 ½ cup plain flour, sifted

3 Tbsp dark cocoa powder

1 level tsp baking soda*

2 level tsp cream of tartar*

(*Alternately you can replace these with 2 ½ tsp of baking powder*)

1 x 250g punnet strawberries, sliced

Strawberry jam

300ml whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla essence

3 Tbsp icing sugar

Method:

In a bowl of an electric mixer place the eggs and beat for 1 -2 minutes until pale. Add sugar and salt and beat for a further 2 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Add milk and add sifted flour, soda, and tartar and coco powder on low speed until combined. Turn speed up and beat for 1 minute. Set pikelet mixture aside for 30 minutes to rest.

In a clean mixing bowl place the whipping cream, sifted icing sugar and vanilla essence. Beat cream mixture for 3-5 minutes until stiff peaks form. Set aside in fridge.

Grease a sauce pan with cooking spray or butter and place over a medium heat. Place four greased egg rings into the pan and place a tablespoon of mixture into each ring. Cook mixture for 30-40 seconds until bubbles start forming and bursting on top of the mixture.

Flip egg rings and cook for a further 30 seconds on the opposite side. Remove egg ring from around the pikelet and place on a cooling rack. Repeat this process with the rest of the mixture.

Meanwhile in an electric mixer bowl add the whipping cream, vanilla essence and sifted icing sugar. Beat until firm peaks form. Set aside.

To assemble place one pikelet on a plate, spoon a teaspoon of strawberry jam over the pikelet followed by a spoonful of cream and a few slices of strawberries, place another pikelet on top and repeat the process.

Finish the last pikelet off with a dollop of cream and a few slices of strawberry for garnish.

___________________________________________________________

WINNER

I was meant to announce the winner of the Johnson Waters giveaway yesterday, I was a little distracted and forgot. So sorry! So without further ado the winner of the gorgeous Christmas inspired tea towels is: