Lemon ricotta pancakes and bacon show serious love.
Ever since I first heard about lemon ricotta pancakes, I’ve wanted to try them. They sound like the perfect Father’s Day breakfast.
I especially wanted to make them because my daughter went to Claire’s on Cedros in Solana Beach, California, and told me she ate the best pancakes of her life there.
How could stinking Claire make the best pancakes of her life when mine, her baker/cook mom’s, are supposed to be the best?
(The answer is easy, I’d never made lemon ricotta pancakes.) I wouldn’t rest until I found a great recipe and created pancakes that could at least compete, if not pummel Claire’s.
So, I turned to Food Network, usually a great place for recipes. Bobby Flay’s lemon ricotta pancakes were tasty, but too mushy. I almost turned to Krusteaz , thinking I could just cheat and add lemon and ricotta, but found a recipe by Williams Sonoma, that was really popular. (By the way, Krusteaz rocks for regular pancakes, you just add water and a little vanilla and they’re great and so easy.)
I tweaked the WS recipe by cooking the pancakes in butter and by adding two drops of lemon oil, but changed nothing else. The key to these is the whipped egg whites, which made them nice and fluffy.
(And yes, I know carbs are now the enemy, but it’s going to be Father’s Day for God’s sake, so live a little and try these! Pancakes once a year will not kill you.)
Dear God, these were good.
My daughter, whose palate is far too sophisticated for a 19-year-old, thought they might be a skinch too lemony, but she liked them. Just leave out the oil and they’ll be less lemony, but just as good. (I never got out of her whether they were better than Claire’s or not.) Guess I’ll have to go there and see for myself. They’re really good with a berry compote. I’m partial to blackberry, but blueberry is great too.
These pancakes are a combination of my dad’s two favorite things, pancakes and lemon, and he would have loved them on Father’s Day, or any day. In his honor, I wolfed mine down just like he would have. It was a tiny tribute to a man who was everything a father should be, and much more.
And If you’re making the pancakes, definitely serve bacon. (Unless you’re a healthy vegetarian. In that case forget this part.) But do it the easy and tasty way. Lay it out on a cookie sheet, sprinkle it lightly with brown sugar and bake it at 375 until it’s done – about 20 minutes to a half hour. You will see God when you taste it. Trust me on this.
I’m sending along a link to the Williams Sonoma recipe, but will share it here too. Thanks to all the fathers, out there who do their best to be the finest dads they can be. Your kids are watching and learning from you every day. Happy Father’s Day! I hope you get pancakes.
Williams Sonoma Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
AuthorFran TunnoIn a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, juice and optional lemon oil until smooth. Mix together the flour, baking powder and 1/8 tsp. of the salt and sprinkle it over the ricotta mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
In another large bowl, beat the egg whites with a mixer, until frothy. Add the remaining 1/8 tsp. salt and continue beating until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into the ricotta mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites.
Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Spray the griddle with nonstick cooking spray, or peanut oil. (If you use butter, be careful, because it burns.) Ladle 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top and the pancakes are golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a warmed plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. Makes 12 to 14 pancakes.
I sprinkled the pancakes with powdered sugar, put blackberries and raspberries on top and drizzled with blackberry compote.
Place 1 1/2 cups of blackberries in a strainer and crush them. Discard the seeds and pulp. Place the juice in a small pan with 1 Tbsp. sugar (or more to taste) and 1/2 tsp. of lemon juice and 1 tsp. blackberry liqueur (optional). Stir about two minutes on medium heat, until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and serve over lemon ricotta pancakes.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, juice and optional lemon oil until smooth. Mix together the flour, baking powder and 1/8 tsp. of the salt and sprinkle it over the ricotta mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
In another large bowl, beat the egg whites with a mixer, until frothy. Add the remaining 1/8 tsp. salt and continue beating until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-third of the egg whites into the ricotta mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites.
Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Spray the griddle with nonstick cooking spray, or peanut oil. (If you use butter, be careful, because it burns.) Ladle 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top and the pancakes are golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the pancakes and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer to a warmed plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. Makes 12 to 14 pancakes.
I sprinkled the pancakes with powdered sugar, put blackberries and raspberries on top and drizzled with blackberry compote.
Place 1 1/2 cups of blackberries in a strainer and crush them. Discard the seeds and pulp. Place the juice in a small pan with 1 Tbsp. sugar (or more to taste) and 1/2 tsp. of lemon juice and 1 tsp. blackberry liqueur (optional). Stir about two minutes on medium heat, until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and serve over lemon ricotta pancakes.
13 Comments
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes for Father’s Day | D.E. Cantor
June 21, 2015 at 7:17 pm[…] Lemon Ricotta Pancakes for Father’s Day. […]
Linda Friday
June 19, 2015 at 4:16 pmI am laughing that you want to throw down with Claire’s. Seems to me that competitive spirit is what led to a cardboard Scottish castle with turrets and a drawbridge.
Fran Tunno
June 20, 2015 at 12:10 amI am sure Claire would probably wipe the floor with me, but I’d give it a go. And yes, that competitive spirit is definitely what got us in over our heads in castle hell! I loved every minute of it! Glad you were there to guide the project!
Leslie
June 10, 2015 at 1:32 pmThose look delicious! You’ve certainly put Claire in her place! Your kitchen is surely the E-Ticket!
Fran Tunno
June 10, 2015 at 6:20 pmI just made them again this morning and succumbed to the temptation– again! They are worth it. Quite tasty. Must travel to Solana Beach and try Claire’s.
Mary
June 9, 2015 at 6:20 amI conjure up an image of Whimpy (that old cartoon character) when I think of eating all of your yummy dishes. I’m sure it’s what I’d look like if I cooked like you do, Fran. This one sounds great but I was never quite the lemon fan that Dad was. It’s okay, but I liked other things better. Looks scrumptious!!
Fran Tunno
June 9, 2015 at 4:59 pmThey’re really yummy. And, “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” Thanks for reading!
mandy
June 8, 2015 at 3:48 pmYuuuum… can you just come to my house and make them please Fran???? I feel too fat and lazy after reading that delicious recipe in this heat, to even think about making them. I think they’re the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten – next to your biscotti – and I haven’t even eaten the lemon ricotta pancakes yet!!! I’m just thinking about eating them – hmm hmm sooo good!
Fran Tunno
June 8, 2015 at 8:13 pmI would happily cook anything you want me to…in fact, I will be baking tonight, just for you!
Fran Tunno
June 8, 2015 at 3:26 pmWe will have to take a drive to Solana Beach for some scientific testing one day soon, don’t you think? I mean, sacrifices must be made for science.
EmilyAnn Frances
June 8, 2015 at 9:18 amHi Fran! Congrats on having them turn out so well. Mine burnt.
I had these once served with breakfast sausages. The sausages had an orange marmalade glaze and were perfect with the ricotta pancakes. Powdered sugar was sprinkled on top of the pancakes. I ate them just like that. They were very light and moist.
Fran Tunno
June 8, 2015 at 3:27 pmI love the orange marmalade glaze with the sausages, great idea. I’ve never been a marmalade fan, but that sounds delicious! Yes, light and moist definitely describes them!
nicolzanzarella
June 8, 2015 at 6:58 amI have always wanted to try lemon ricotta pancakes! Yours look absolutely delicious, much better than Claire, for sure! xo