Ricka-ricka-REMIX.

I made lemon ricotta pancakes around this time last year. But I think I got lazy at one point in the recipe and didn’t completely whip the egg whites into soft peaks. The pancakes were still good, but they didn’t come close to these babies.

The key to making these pancakes is patience. You have to make the batter in three parts, which is admittedly frustrating. Don’t give up, though. Your arm might get tired when you’re whipping the egg whites, but that’s what hand blenders or upright blenders are for.

I served the pancakes with some macerated berries, powdered sugar and maple syrup. The berries are a great snack while you’re waiting for the pancakes to cook.

Another tip: When you’re whipping the egg whites into soft peaks for the batter, make sure they’re the consistency of soft serve. They should be white and soft and drop off the whisk with you shake it. Then you’ll end up with moist, fluffy pancakes worthy of an early Saturday morning (why does staying in bed all morning sound more and more appealing?…)

Here’s a song to play when you’re making the batter. I’ve been listening to Tennis (the chanteuse, not the sport) for about a year, and this is one of her recent songs. I like her no-bullshit attitude and clever lyrics. I think you will, too. Also, this song has the word “progeny” in it, which is pretty badass, imho.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Macerated Berries (slightly adapted from here)

Ingredients

for the berries:
2 cups mixed berries (I used blackberries, raspberries and blueberries)
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar

for the pancakes:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for coating the frying pan and serving
1 cup whole milk
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine salt
3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon packed finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 to 3 medium lemons)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
powdered sugar, fruit and maple syrup for serving

Directions

Toss the berries, lemon juice and sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.

Place butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until butter has melted; remove from heat and let cool slightly. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; set aside.

Place egg yolks, 1 tablespoon of the sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisk in a quarter of the milk-butter mixture (this will temper the eggs and prevent them from curdling), then whisk in the remaining milk-butter mixture until smooth.

Add the reserved flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined (do not overmix); set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks (they should bend like soft-serve ice cream; make sure the bowl and whisk are perfectly clean with no traces of grease, or the whites will not whip properly). Halfway through whisking them, sprinkle in the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using the rubber spatula, fold the whites into the reserved batter until just combined.

Gently fold the ricotta into the batter, being careful not to break down the texture of the cheese (the batter will be lumpy and streaked with ricotta); set aside.

Heat a large nonstick frying pan, griddle, or seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat until hot, about 4 minutes. Test to see if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling a couple of drops of cold water in it: If the water bounces and sputters, the pan is ready to use.
8Lightly coat the pan’s surface with butter, then use a 1/4-cup measure to scoop the batter into the pan.

Cook until bubbles form on top of the pancakes, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until the bottoms are golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve immediately with powdered sugar, fruit and maple syrup. Enjoy!