Make these zesty lemon ricotta pancakes to brighten up your morning

Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 5 minutes | Serves: 4

There are a few keys to great pancakes: They're soft on the inside, have a crispy ring around the edge, and are fluffy enough to stand up to healthy dousing of butter and syrup.

A stack of these guys stand up to all three tests, largely thanks to the ricotta cheese that adds not only a bit of tanginess, but also results in extra fluff. The lemon zest brings a hint of freshness to brighten up the slight tartness from the ricotta.

Top with some fruit – and of course heaps of maple syrup – to really round out the flavor.

*Recipe courtesy of The Food Channel.

*This article was originally published in February, 2018.

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1 1/3 cups ricotta
• 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• For brushing the griddle melted butter

Preparation

1. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, ricotta, sugar and lemon zest, add the flour, and stir the mixture until it is just combined.
2. In a bowl with an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold stiff peaks, whisk about 1/4 of them into the ricotta mixture, and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
3. Heat a griddle over medium heat until it is hot enough to make drops of water scatter over its surface and brush with some of the melted butter.
4. Working in batches, pour the batter onto the griddle in desired measurements (1⁄4 cup is ideal) and cook the pancakes for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until they are golden, brushing the griddle with some of the melted butter as necessary.
5. Transfer the pancakes to a rack lined sheet tray as they are cooked, and keep them warm in a preheated 200°F oven until ready to serve.