The Very Definition of Ethereal

     So, my go-to recipe for pancakes is a Martha Stewart one, amended for the sake of virtue by substituting whole wheat flour for white.  It is quite good, and I am not talking about that here.  Except to say that pancakes, in general, are an excellent place to use whole wheat flour, without any loss, and considerable gain.  Enough said.
     As we are in the midst of winter break around here, I am concocting a few more homemade breakfasts lately.  In general, Bryce has protein smoothies before school, a happy compromise that achieves nutrition from my end, more or less, and ease of consumption on her end.  On the days that she is not required to rise from her nest for school, and I am not working, a homemade breakfast is then requested.  We don't go out for this meal, as, frankly, I am disinclined to buy something that I can easily and more cheaply make.
     The other day, as a departure from my usual repertoire, I opted for a new pancake recipe.  I had had time before madame rose and graced me with her presence, and was cruising my blog list.  Instead of starting at the top, I broke from tradition and found this at the bottom:  Ricotta pancakes, on the whiteonricecouple.com site.  These folks are new to me, and I have not been following them long.  But I have seen recipes for this in the past, and lo!  I had ricotta in the fridge, from the tabled idea of making lasagne.  Ricotta that now needed to be used, a great excuse.
     These come together quickly, and have a minimal extra step from my usual (lightly beating the egg whites).  I am guessing this, plus all the dairy and extra fat is what makes them so amazing.  For this is what I found:  while I like pancakes well enough, they are somewhat, ahem, sturdy.  This is likely due to the whole wheat flour aspect, although just as likely due to the fact that I don't imbue them with a ton of fat.
     In contrast, the ricotta pancakes were light as air, and truly ethereal.  They puffed up while cooking and were an amazing departure from the typical maple syrup option.  In fact, said syrup would seem a crime here.   There is lemon zest in the batter.  I shook some powdered sugar on top, and would also envision some lemon juice sprinkled on top as a great option.  Jam, especially if it is fairly loose, would delicious, or fresh berries.  These pancakes are worth a try, and if you hear angels singing, you know you have arrived at food nirvana.

Ricotta Pancakes

adapted from the recipe found on whiteonricecouple.com

who, incidentally, adapted theirs from Nigella Lawson

makes enough for 3-4 servings

2/3 c flour

2 T sugar

1 t baking powder

pinch of kosher salt

1 c whole milk ricotta cheese

1/2 c milk

1/2 t vanilla extract

2 eggs, separated

zest of 1 lemon

Butter for the pan

Toppings:  powdered sugar, lemon juice, jam and or berries

1.  Stir dry ingredients together. 

2.  Stir ricotta, milk, vanilla and egg yolks and lemon zest together.  Add the flour mixture.  In a clean, separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are a fine foam (I did it with a fork), then fold into the egg and flour mixture.  

3.  Cook in a large skillet:  melt butter and drop large spoonfuls of batter, cooking each side 1-2 minutes, or until golden.    Transfer to a plate, then sift powdered sugar over the pancakes.