Ingredients
- 125 g (4 1/2 oz/1 cup) self-raising flour
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 125 ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) milk
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped sage
- melted butter, for brushing
Method
1. Sift the flour into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Whisk together the eggs and milk and gradually add to the well in the flour, mixing in slowly. Add the parsley and sage and season well. Whisk until a smooth batter forms.
2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and brush with melted butter. Working in batches, drop heaped teaspoons of the batter into the pan and flatten with a spatula to give 5 cm (2 inch) circles. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface, then turn and brown the other side. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
3. To make the pear and blue cheese topping, beat the cheeses and brandy together until smooth. Season with black pepper. Cut the pear in half and peel and core one half, then dice it into 5 mm (1/4 inch) pieces, leaving the other half intact. Stir the diced pear and walnuts into the cheese mixture. Core the other pear half but do not peel it. Thinly slice the pear lengthways, then cut each slice into 2 cm (3/4 inch) triangles, with the green skin on one side. Squeeze some lemon juice over the cut surfaces to stop them turning brown.
4. Spread 1 teaspoon of the topping on each pikelet. Arrange three pear triangles on top, garnish with chives and serve.
