Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

A few hearty zinnia and sunflower starts are poking shyly out of the dirt in my garden. They re-seeded themselves from last year and although I don’t want them to actually grow where they’ve planted themselves, their cheerful little stems are too wonderful to dig up. So mixed between broccoli and basil and green leaf lettuce, sunflowers will grow and if that doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about my gardening abilities, I don’t know what else to write.

My ever-loyal rhubarb plant looks like it had a shot of steroids this year. I’m not sure why its so big and already producing huge pink stalks, but I’ll take it. I spent the last week or two mulling over what to do with it. I know I’ll make some rhubarb simple syrup and of course, a crisp (with strawberries and blueberries when they come into season) a handful of times between now and the end of summer, but I still want something else to add to my bank of recipes.

My kids have been on a big pancake kick lately and often my 13-year-old son will make a batch of pancakes for an after school snack or a late night snack. He often breaks open a box of Kodiak mix, which is great and gets the job done. Watching him make pancakes a few days ago; a light bulb went off in my brain. I needed a special, over-the-top decadent pancake perfect for soaking up a sweet and slightly tart strawberry rhubarb sauce.

A little bit of experimenting one afternoon and this lemon ricotta pancake came to life. The ricotta and egg whites make the pancake incredibly light and fluffy. The hint of lemon and vanilla added to the batter gives the pancake a lovely balanced sweetness without over doing it. As for the strawberry rhubarb compote, I knew I wanted a thick sauce with bites of fruit in it. I opted for a rustic approach because I love the texture of the fruit but you could always add a little extra water and cook the fruit down a little longer.

This recipe would be perfect for a lazy weekend morning. The pancakes and compote come together in less than 30 minutes, making for a lovely brunch on a sunny spring morning.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• 1/3 cup milk

• 1 large egg

• 2 large egg whites

• Juice of a large lemon

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Strawberry Rhubarb Compote

• 2 cups sliced strawberries

• 2 cups diced rhubarb

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• Juice of half a lemon

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 2 tablespoons water

Start by making the compote. Wash and slice the strawberries and rhubarb. The rhubarb should be in 1-inch pieces and the strawberries quartered. Add the fruit to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the sugar and lemon juice, giving the fruit a good stir. In a separate bowl, combine the cornstarch and water, mixing until smooth. Pour the cornstarch mixture over the simmering fruit. Reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat off to the pan and set aside. If the sauce is thicker than your preference, add a tablespoon or two of water to the compote and stir to combine.

In a medium size bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix to combine. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, egg whites, ricotta cheese, milk, lemon juice and zest, vanilla extract and melted butter. Whisk until smooth.

Combine the wet ingredients with the flour mixture, stirring gently until a batter forms.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium-low heat. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Drop about 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot skillet and allow to cook for two minutes or until bubbles begin forming on the pancake. Use a spatula to flip the pancake and cook for an additional two minutes until both sides of the pancake are golden brown. Remove from the pan and start the process again until all the batter is used up.

To serve, stack pancakes on a plate and spread liberally with softened butter. Spoon the strawberry rhubarb compote over the pancakes and devour. Recipes makes roughly 12 pancakes.