Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

I think breakfast is my favorite meal – especially on the weekends.  I love the consistency and richness of ricotta cheese and putting in a pancake seems like a brilliant idea. The brightness of the lemon and ginger help to lighten it up.  These pancakes take a little more time to cook but they are worth every minute.  If you can use a high quality hand dipped ricotta cheese, the creaminess will really impress you.  My family likes these pancakes so much that I keep the spice mix in a jar for when I need it.  In this case I use one teaspoon of the mix per batch of pancakes.

Serves 2 – can be doubled and tripled
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup fresh whole milk ricotta cheese
2 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
⅔ cup of milk
1 lemon, zested and juiced
butter for the griddle
Whipped cream (optional)
Fresh raspberries or blueberries for garnish

1. Preheat a griddle to a medium heat.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, salt and sugar.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cheese,egg yolks, milk, lemon juice and lemon zest.
4. Whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until combined; do not over mix.
5. In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter to loosen it. With a spatula, gently fold in the remaining whites until just incorporated.
6. Brush the hot griddle with butter. For each pancake, pour about ¼ cup of the batter on to the griddle and cook on both sides until light golden brown. Repeat until no batter remains.

SERVING: Serve with whipped cream, fresh raspberries or blueberries.