Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and Simple Berry Syrup

Lemon and ricotta go together like…well, I could use any number of clichés here, and you’d know what I mean. Like bacon and eggs. Or salt and pepper. What I mean to say is simply that the mild creaminess of ricotta cheese works perfectly with the soft tang of lemon zest. The combination works in cheesecake, and it definitely works in these pancakes.

Several weeks back, while browsing the sizable cookbook section at McKay’s (seriously the best used bookstore I’ve ever been inside and the number one reason, in my opinion, for living in Manassas) I happened upon a copy of The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham. It’s been on my list of books to acquire for a few years, thanks to high praise from Molly Wizenberg and her post on oatmeal popovers, and I couldn’t quite believe my luck. The price was $1.33. I didn’t hesitate.

I was mostly interested in getting my hands on Marion Cunningham’s much-lauded recipe for yeasted waffles (which I haven’t made yet), but as I perused the pages of the chapter on Griddling, I came across her recipe for lemon pancakes. Spring weather being in the air, a light and lemony pancake sounded like the perfect Saturday morning breakfast.

Marion’s recipe calls for cottage cheese, but I had a pint of ricotta in the fridge, and like I said, ricotta and lemon just go together. Other than the addition of a little vanilla, this was the only modification I made. If you have cottage cheese sitting around, I’m sure it works just as well.

The first bite of these pancakes made me think of lemon meringue pie. They’re light and airy, thanks to beaten-until-fluffy egg whites folded into the batter, and the lemon flavor is sweet and almost delicate because it’s from zest rather than juice.

E was not as wowed as I was, unfortunately, but he likes his pancakes heftier. These are so light they seem like they might float right off your plate. If ever a pancake could be called feminine, this is probably the one. They’d be perfect for a ladies’ brunch.

I served them up with blueberry syrup, but raspberry or blackberry would be just as good. I wouldn’t recommend maple syrup or even commercial pancake syrup, because the flavor clashes with the lemon. If you don’t have a fruit syrup on hand, you can easily make your own (I’ve included a simple recipe for that below, which works with any type of berry), or just give them a slathering of butter and a dusting of powdered sugar and call it good.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Adapted from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham

3 eggs, yolks and whites separated
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I wouldn’t use a whole grain mixture in these; it will cancel out the lightness from the beaten egg whites, which is a major factor in the pancakes’ texture)
3/4 cup whole or part-skim ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese, if you prefer)
1/4 cup unsalted sweet cream butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher or fine grain sea salt
Zest from 1 lemon, finely grated

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or by hand if you’re daring and have very good arm muscles), beat the egg whites until they’re stiff and will form peaks that will hold their shape.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.

In a separate medium bowl, stir together the egg yolks, ricotta, melted butter, vanilla, and lemon zest until thoroughly combined.

Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix well.

Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, stirring carefully only until there are no streaks left. Do not overmix!

Grease a griddle or large frying pan with butter or spray oil, and place over medium heat. When the griddle is hot, drop the batter onto it by 1/4 cupfuls, using a spoon to spread the batter into a thin circle if needed. Cook slowly, 1-1/2 to 2 minutes, lifting the edge of the pancake to check it with a spatula. When the underside is golden, flip it and cook the other side. Note: the second side will cook faster.

Serve with butter and syrup or powdered sugar.

Makes 8-10 pancakes.

Simple Berry Syrup

2 cups fresh or frozen berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.)
1 cup sugar

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the berries and sugar, and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring regularly, until the sugar is dissolved, juices run from the berries and begin to thicken, and the berries are tender, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before serving. Note: if you want a pure “syrup” without pieces of berry in it, push it through a mesh strainer, and discard the berries.

Makes about 2 cups.

For the printable recipe, click here.

Happy breakfasting!