By Genevieve Ko
This quick batter cooks into the most tender pancakes for the most comforting breakfast. Milky ricotta and butter, along with tangy buttermilk, lend a soft, sweet creaminess, and well-beaten eggs keep them fluffy and light. Lemon- and vanilla-scented sugar makes the pancakes sweet enough to eat on their own, but they’re fun to serve with blueberry syrup or your favorite toppings. If you prefer soufflélike pancakes, separate the whites from the yolks and beat them to stiff peaks. Mix the yolks in with the wet ingredients, fold the whipped whites in after the dry ingredients are incorporated and cook as directed below.
Yield: 8 to 10 small pancakes
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
3/4 cup/102 grams all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 cup/50 grams sugar
1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup/170 grams whole-milk ricotta
1/4 cup/61 grams buttermilk, preferably whole milk
2 tablespoons/28 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus room-temperature butter for cooking and serving
Blueberry syrup or other toppings, for serving (optional)
Preparation:
1. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Heat a griddle or large nonstick pan or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium-low.
2. Add the sugar to a large bowl, then finely grate the zest of the lemon directly over the sugar. Using your fingers, gently rub the zest into the sugar. Add the vanilla and whisk to evenly moisten. Add the eggs and whisk until foamy on top, then add the ricotta, buttermilk and butter, and whisk until well-blended. Add the flour mixture and gently stir until no traces of flour remain.
3. Generously butter the griddle, then drop a scant 1/4 cup batter onto it. Repeat, spacing the rounds at least an inch apart. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and the tops are bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook until the other sides are golden brown, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with more butter and the remaining batter. Serve warm, slathered with butter and blueberry syrup or other toppings if you’d like.