The first time I had Lemon Ricotta Pancakes was at a fancy restaurant in Calistoga, California. We were on an anniversary weekend and ate at a high end Spa for breakfast. It was a sunny April day and we dined poolside. I ordered the Lemon Ricotta pancakes and was delighted when my tall stack of fluffy ricotta pancakes were delivered to the table with their delightful berry topping.
These “light as air” pancakes have their roots in Italian Jewish history. The Jews in Italy as far back as the 14th century made Latkes (pancakes) from ricotta cheese. So, as with all things delicious, these pancakes come from Italy! Whip up a batch and see if your friends and family enjoy them as much as we do!
I like to serve them with berry sauce, you can find the recipe in my blog about Dutch Baby pancakes, which is another delicious pancake recipe that reaches us from Germany. Or try the recipe for lemon sauce below.
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions:
- Stir together all dry ingredients in a bowl, set aside
- in a separate bowl, crack eggs and beat, add milk, ricotta, lemon juice and zest, stir to incorporate together
- add the wet ingredients to the dry, ingredients gradually alternating each so that your dough is not lumpy, stir to combine
- heat a skillet with a little butter or oil, cook until lightly golden brown, flip and stir other side.
- serve with lemon curd, berry sauce , maple syrup or my recipe for Lemon Sauce below. I’ve been told I should bottle it and sell it! Personally I like it with the lemon sauce AND the berry sauce together!
Lemon Sauce Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cups water
- 1 egg yolk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 2 Tablespoons corn starch
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- Juice and zest of one lemon (about 1/3 cup juice and 1 tablespoon zest)
Lemon Sauce Instructions:
- Combine sugar and cornstarch and set aside
- Separate the yolk from the white, drop the egg in a non-heated sauce pan, add water and whisk together
- Turn the heat on medium high and and whisk in the sugar cornstarch mixture, bring to a gentle boil, stir until thickened.
- add lemon juice, zest and butter, set aside
