The big, white wedgewood stove I grew up with was always cool to the touch, even when cranking out a factory-load of pancakes on a weekend morning. Time softens details, but I will always remember to flip them only when the little bubbles form and start to burst on the glistening surface of the pancake. Ryan and I make these on Thursdays mornings when we only have a bit of time together. This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Forever Summer by Nigella Lawson. Full of easy, deceptively luxurious little treats, it’s a go-to when you have a little time on your hands and some room in your belly. I use sheep’s milk ricotta in mine and toss in a little yogurt for tang.
Ricotta Hotcakes
9 ounces (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sheep’s ricotta
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
2 tablespoons butter
any topping, fruit or otherwise
Put the ricotta, milk, yogurt and egg yolks into a bowl and mix well to combine. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt and gently whisk to make a smooth batter.
Beat the egg whites until they become foamy and then fold them into the ricotta-milk mixture.
Melt the butter in a warm cast-iron pan, and drop in heaping spoonfuls of the batter. Cook the hotcakes for about a minute, until the little bubbles are popping on the surface, and them flip them over, cooking for about another minute longer.
We love them with more butter and a generous helping of blackberry jam, but any fruit or maple syrup is equally pleasurable.
Makes about 20 small hotcakes.
The Midnight Egg 