Ricotta Pancakes

Soft, fluffy pancakes! In a sea of recipes, this one is my favourite!

RECIPE NOTES: If you don’t have self-raising flour, use plain/all-purpose flour (cake wheat flour in South Africa) with baking powder (2 teaspoons/10ml baking powder for every 1 cup/150g of flour). See how I make them here: Alana Smith (@alanasmithsweetphotography) • Instagram photos and videos

Makes about 20 medium size pancakes

PANCAKE BATTER

eggs, 2

vanilla (extract or paste), 5ml (1 teaspoon)

ricotta, 250g (usually 1 small tub)

milk, 250g (250ml or 1 cup)

self-raising flour, 200g (330ml or 1 + 1/3 cup)

baking powder, 1.25ml (1/4 teaspoon)

1. To start, separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a large mixing bowl and the whites in a separate large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a free-standing mixer).

2. To the egg yolks, add the vanilla, ricotta and milk and whisk until uniform.

3. Add the self-raising flour and baking powder and mix until just combined and uniform (be mindful to avoid over mixing).
4. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks, then using a spatula or large metal spoon, fold them into the pancake batter (I do this in two goes, first just a little to loosen the mixture, then gently the second time until just combined).

5. In a large pan over a medium to high heat, dollop tablespoonfuls of the batter to cook (1 - 2 minutes), then flip and cook on the other side. (I like using ceramic nonstick cookware, so I usually don’t add any oil or butter when cooking the pancakes, but you might want to depending on the pan you use).

6. Repeat using the remaining pancake batter.

These pancakes are delicious freshly made, dusted with icing sugar, drizzled with maple syrup and served with unsweetened yoghurt or fresh berries.

The pancakes can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months.