Despite the fact that this is the second time in one week that I am writing about making pancakes, the truth is that I’m not a huge pancake person. I’ll take french toast or waffles over pancakes any day. That said, the pancakes I made yesterday morning might have converted me.
I awoke with a grumbling stomach and my thoughts immediately ran to what I could make with the ingredients in the fridge. Then I remembered the half-used container of ricotta that was left over from my carbo-loading dinner. I immediately thought of lemon ricotta pancakes, and found this recipe, which I halved since I was just cooking for two.
First, I made the sauteed apples that go with the cakes. I didn’t have Granny Smiths in the house, so I used the Galas I had and they tasted great. To cook the cakes, I used my double griddle, which is one of my favorite pieces of cookware. It goes across two burners and allows you to make 6-8 pancakes at once.
I made the batter with whole wheat pastry flour (which I use in the place of all-purpose flour for virtually everything), but otherwise followed the recipe as is. Due to the egg whites, which are beaten to stiff peaks and folded into the batter, the pancakes are incredibly airy and puff up beautifully.
The finished cakes, which we ate with maple syrup and the apples, were delicious. They were light and lemony and just what I was craving. My only regret was not having made the full recipe so that I could have had seconds.
Weekend brunch is my favorite meal, and I have to say that after eating these pancakes I don’t think I can justify paying $10+ for less tasty fare at any of our go-to brunch spots. I might have to keep ricotta in the fridge more often.
