How to Make Great Pancakes
There are a few simple rules to follow to ensure that you will have excellent pancakes every time. Always mix the dry ingredients first. Mix wet ingredients separately and then fold into the dry. Do not overmix the batter or your pancakes will be tough. Mix until the ingredients are just barely combined. Heat a cast-iron pan on high, then reduce heat to a medium-high. Put 2 tablespoons of butter into the hot pan and melt it, coating the pan. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan, about 1/2 cup for each cake, unless otherwise stated. Resist flipping the cakes until bubbles form on the top. Flip the cakes and cook 1 to 1 1/2 minutes more until pancakes are set.
The ricotta cakes are a great special-occasion breakfast and a real showstopper. The ricotta packs them with protein so they leave you feeling fueled for the day.
Strawberry-Lemon Ricotta Cakes Prep time: 20 minutes
Turnout time: 5 to 10 minutes
Feeds: 4
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs, separated
Zest of 2 lemons
Powdered sugar to garnish
Butter for spreading
1 pint strawberries, sliced
Maple syrup
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together melted butter, ricotta, milk, egg yolks, and lemon zest. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients.
Meanwhile, beat egg whites until they hold a soft peak. Fold them into the batter.
Cook as described in the sidebar “How to Make Great Pancakes” on this page, but use only 1/4 cup batter for each cake. These cakes may take a little extra time to cook. Test one to make sure it is cooked through before removing from pan. Dust the finished cakes with powdered sugar and serve with butter, sliced strawberries, and maple syrup.