Gone are the days of thin, rubbery pancakes from a pre-made mix. Creamy ricotta gives these a custard like texture and taste. The whipped egg whites create soft, velvety, cloud like pancakes - these really are my favourite. Lemon zest brings a light and tangy flavour and I like to top them with seasonal berries or fruits and a good glug of maple syrup! This is my go-to crowd pleaser.
Time to prep : 15 minutes
Servings : 4 - 6
Ingredients
220g plain flour
100g sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
360ml milk, I prefer whole
250g ricotta
4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
1 lemon, juice and zest
Butter, for frying
Method
Set your oven on the lowest setting and line a large baking tray with baking paper. This can be used to keep the pancakes warm while you're cooking them.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the milk, ricotta, egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest and juice until smooth (don't worry if there are some clumps from the ricotta). Pour this into the dry mix and fold through until just combined. You can use an electric whisk if you like, just keep the speed setting low (to stop the batter spraying everywhere!)
In a clean bowl, use an electric whisk to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold these into the pancake mix.
Place a large, non-stick frying pan over a low-medium heat and lightly brush the pan with butter. Working in batches, use about 2 heaped tbsp of batter per pancake and cook for 2 - 3 minutes on each side until golden. Transfer each cooked pancakes to the oven to keep warm until you are ready to serve.
Nutritional Information
(per serving)
402 calories
16g protein, 60g carbs, 12g fat
Good to know:
Cooked pancakes will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or the freezer for up to 3 months. Seperate pancake layers with greaseproof paper and store in an airtight container. Re-heat in the microwave or simply pop straight into the toasted until crisp.
Swap lemon zest for orange or add 2 tbsp poppy seeds to the batter for a twist.
A good quality non-stick pan goes a long way. Add a small amount of butter in-between every few pancakes, wipe to pan with a sheet of paper towel in-between each new butter addition, to remove any browning butter (which will cause the pancakes to burn).