Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

Good news: I moved! Which means I have a real kitchen which means I can cook and bake and have my kitchen things in my very own kitchen rather than a box. I haven't ever had so much cupboard and counter space or a gas stove/oven. And a dishwasher. And a fridge that spits ice at you when you press the button. It's all quite exciting.

For my first official in-house meal, we decided to try these Lemon-Ricotta pancakes. I thought they sounded kind of like lemon pound cake...and can you go wrong with cake for dinner (or breakfast, for that matter)? And I'm happy to inform that these pancakes do indeed taste a lot like cake. They're awesome (Caroline, you really need to try them). Now it's very important that when the directions say to gently fold in the egg whites and ricotta cheese, you actually gently fold them in. Do not try to completely blend the batter with the whites' I gently turned the whites 4 times, added the cheese and stirred 4 times, and then turned the batter 3 more times with the remaining whites. This way your pancakes will be nice and fluffy with delightful pockets of ricotta to surprise you with each bite.

A final note: these pancakes need berries. They were delicious with nothing and might be weird with syrup. So get yourself some fresh raspberries (or blackberries or other berries) and make yourself some dessert breakfast for dinner.

Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit September 2011
Pictures by Kelly

2 cups mixed fresh berries
1/4 cup plus 4 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 cups ricotta
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 cups milk

1. Gently combine berries, 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Let macerate, tossing occasionally, until sugar dissolves and juices are released, about 15 minutes.
2. Whisk flours, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a medium bowl until frothy. Gradually beat in 2 tablespoons sugar, beating until peaks form. Whisk the egg yolks, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and zest in another medium bowl to blend. Whisk in milk. Add the yolk mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just to blend. Add half of the egg white mixture; fold just to blend. Fold in ricotta, then remaining egg white mixture.
3. Heat a griddle or large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-low heat; brush with melted butter or non-stick spray. Using scant 1/2 cup batter for each pancake and working in batches, ladle batter onto griddle and cook until bottom is golden brown, edges are dry, and bubbles form on top of pancake, about 1 1/2 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until browned and just cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer pancakes to plates. Serve with berries and their juices.