Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before, but I am a collector of mixing bowls. I really love a sturdy bowl, with smooth curves, that you can cradle in one arm while you stir with the other. Not that I ever do that. Nope. My bowls stay firmly on the counter while I mix. I love them too much for such risks.

I found these little blue beauties on my trip to North Carolina earlier this month. They were a steal at $9 bucks a pop but that didn’t stop me from negotiating for two for $15. I got my way and that made me love them even more.

This weekend I decided to put these bowls to use with a hearty pancake breakfast. Lucky for me, a friend had recently recommended a delicious lemon ricotta pancake recipe. Coincidentally, the recipe requires at least three mixing bowls. So I took it and ran with it, adding fresh blueberries (though any berry would work) making a blueberry compote topping instead of traditional maple syrup.

Ingredients: (makes about 4 servings )

Adapted from Myrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 large eggs, separated

1 tablespoon grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

For the blueberry compote simply simmer 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/2 cup water on medium high heat until the blueberries break down and the mixture become slightly syrupy. It’s best to prepare the compote prior to mixing the pancakes. Leave on low heat or allow to cool slightly while you cook the pancakes.

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk buttermilk, egg yolks, lemon juice, and lemon peel to blend.

Stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture just until evenly moistened. Gently stir in ricotta cheese.

In a bowl, with a mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. With a flexible spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter just until they are incorporated.

Next, add the blueberries.

Place a large, nonstick frying pan over medium heat; when hot, coat lightly with oil and adjust heat to maintain temperature.

Drop batter onto the pan and cook until pancakes are browned on the bottom and edges begin to look dry, about 2 minutes; turn cakes with a wide spatula and brown other sides, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. Coat pan with more oil as necessary to cook remaining pancakes.