Ricotta Hotcakes with Simple Lemon Syrup

Hello my lovelies

 There are certain charms a woman must possess to keep a man interested… soft skin, silky hair, a certain way with his mother..and, an outstanding recipe for pancakes.

I’m gonna put this out there.

These are the best pancakes, EVER.  I know this is a pretty huge claim but I have confirmed it with a number of people who agree & I am pretty confident about this one. Think about what you want out of a pancake:

• light & fluffy….CHECK!
• moist….CHECK!
• crispy golden on the edges…..CHECK!
• carry flavours of syrups & toppings well…..CHECK!
• not give you that god awful floury cakey feeling all over your teeth….CHECK!
• freakin’ delicious….CHEEEEEECK!

I am so confident about these little beauties, I guarantee your kids, boyfriend/husband, friends, dog will give you big wet kisses for making these.  The best thing about them is they’re not too filling, I find regular pancakes just sit in my stomach all day like a thumping big rock..not these guys.

O.K enough trumpet blowing

Ricotta Hotcakes with Simple Lemon Syrup

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggs, separated
• 3 tablespoons of ricotta
• ¾ cup plain flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ cup caster sugar
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ cup milk
• ½ tsp lemon zest if desired
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• Butter or oil for frying

 For the syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ a lemon
• Splash of water

Method:

1. In a clean bowl whisk together ricotta, egg yolks, vanilla, milk, sugar & lemon zest
2. In a separate bowl sift flour, salt & baking powder
3. Add the ricotta mixture to the flour & whisk until smooth
4. In a 3^rd bowl whisk egg whites to stiff peak consistency
5. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter in 3 batches
6. Heat a large skillet to medium heat & add butter or spray with oil (I did both)
7. Add 2 heaped tablespoons of batter & cook until lightly golden, flip, cook until golden & remove from the pan. (they don’t really bubble up too much to tell you they’re ready, you just have to check)
8. Continue cooking hotcakes 1-2 at a time until all the batter has been cooked

To make the syrup simply put the sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat with the lemon & a splash of water, cook until bubbling & syrupy in consistency. Allow to cool slightly before serving. If desired, garnish with the candied lemon.

Serve dusted with powdered sugar, drizzled with syrup & with a dollop of ice cream.

(Serves 2)

See how thick & fluffy they are