Have you ever made pancakes using ricotta cheese before? Until today, neither had I. I was so intrigued when I saw this recipe because it not only called for ricotta (bizarre to me in a breakfast recipe) but it also called for no oil. I knew it was a must try. The end result was fantastic. My husband said it was like a cross between a pancake and a cheese danish pastry. I love anything that adds more protein and calcium to our diets and isn’t too hard on the tastebuds either. I made some with blueberries and some with strawberries but you could use any fruit you like or just omit the fruit all together. Get creative – omit the lemon and add chocolate chips or some cinnamon for a totally new direction and flavor. No matter what you do, they’ll be delicious!
Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup part-skim ricotta
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups berries plus more for garnish (optional)
Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until well combined. Set aside. In a separate large bowl, whisk together ricotta, egg yolks, milk, lemon zest and vanilla. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture just until combined. Beat egg whites with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form (I threw the whites in my kitchen aid to whip while I was getting the other ingredients together). Gently fold beaten egg whites into pancake mixture just until blended. Lightly grease a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat and drizzle with a little butter. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle and spread to make about 4-inch pancake. Drop blueberries onto each pancake and cook until edges are dry and bottom is golden. Flip pancake and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer or until lightly golden on both sides. Adjust heat as needed to prevent burning. Serve with extra berries and real maple syrup – enjoy!
