Ricotta Pancakes, Hotcakes!

I have been such a slacker. I know. I'm not proud of it.

You don't know how many times I've attempted to post something new. I know my blog had been looking pathetic. I look at other blogs and marvel at how they are able to find time to update their blog consistently.  Am I the only one slacking here or what?  I have to get better at this.  If others can do it, so should I.   So.Help.Me.God. :)

Anyhow, I am here and I have something for you.  My ricotta pancakes.

 In the Philippines, we actually call pancakes as "hotcakes". I don't know why but maybe because they're best eaten hot and fresh from the pan?  Hmmmm.

Making pancakes for me evokes a lot of childhood memories.  My Mom taught me how to make pancakes from scratch at an early age.  She would often make this for my father who loves them, not just for breakfast but as an afternoon snack.  I remember that my father would simply sprinkle the cakes with a bit of sugar, roll them like a cigarette and eat them that way accompanied with a hot cup of coffee.

So you see,  making pancakes is near and dear to my heart.
 

This time though, the pancakes I made are not for my father.  Rather, I made them for the most wonderful staff at Metro Life Church.  Many blogs ago I mentioned that the hubby and I had gotten involved in our church's Hospitality ministry in which we have the opportunity to cook breakfast for the staff at least once a month.  Let me tell you, this ministry has helped us practice our craft. We so much enjoy doing it.  We love doing it. We are so thankful for it.

A couple of Sundays ago was again our turn to prepare breakfast.  Earlier in the week, I had no idea on what to do.  All I know was that I wanted to do something simple and light.

The inspiration came to me later in the week.  I had been craving for lasagna lately and then...the idea hit me -- ricotta! Ricotta Pancakes. I know the addition of ricotta is going to make the pancake light. I shared my idea with Mr. J and he agreed. So that settled it.

I've made Tyler Florence's ricotta pancakes before but I thought his version had too much work and ingredients involved.  So I searched for something simpler to do, in which  my star ingredient - the ricotta - can truly shine.  Thankfully, I found the recipe below. 

So, here they are.  Pancake ricotta for the church staff.

RICOTTA PANCAKES

1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
pinch salt
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Combine ricotta, milk, egg yolks, and vanilla in a separate bowl.

Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer until stiff. Add the dry ingredients to the ricotta and milk mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Whisk in a small amount of the egg whites to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites.

Heat a griddle over medium-high heat, and brush the surface with butter. Use a ladle or measuring scoop (we used a 1/3 cup measure) to pour batter onto the griddle. Cook pancakes for about 3 or 4 minutes, then flip, cooking until both sides are golden brown.

NOTE:  Serve your pancakes with fruit or maple syrup, and fresh fruits (berries would be the best).