Ricotta pancakes with blueberry compote

I spend a lot of time thinking about weekend breakfast...they make me happy and I think it's natural to want to think about things that bring you joy.  I love that first meal of the day, sitting down to something savory or something sweet and unwinding over a few cups of coffee.  We're always digging into a constant array of pancakes, waffles, bacon and eggs, or something similar.  I love making all our family favorites (it's a good thing there are quite a few) and I also love it when I get to try a little something new.

This was my first time making ricotta pancakes. I had them once in a restaurant and I remember the lightness to them.  I hadn't really thought about it but after making sour cream pancakes recently, I thought "how about ricotta?".  Inspired by that whim, I bought some whole milk ricotta and we enjoyed a batch of ricotta pancakes last weekend.  

Ricotta pancakes are light and fluffy, yet rich and hearty.  They're a little extra moist and a bit creamy.  In other words, they make a lovely weekend breakfast.

They taste great with the usual drizzle of maple syrup but I topped them with a blueberry compote, which is very easy to make using straight-from-the-freezer frozen blueberries.  I was inspired by the signature pancakes I see on my instagram feed from Clinton Street Baking Co., a restaurant in NYC.  I've yet to eat there (warnings about the long wait deters this homebody) but the photos of their pancakes topped with blueberry compote, as well as their other comfort foods, totally call out to me!

Pancakes are a great canvas - fine eaten plain but better with maple syrup, spread with jam or Nutella, or topped with fruit or a berry compote like this.  I recommend them all on weekend mornings!  And I counted this as another happy breakfast I was grateful to share with my family.  

The food isn't as important as the company and conversations that go with it at the breakfast table but it sure helps to have something yummy to gather over.  To that end, I'm always open to new inspirations! 

It's never too early to start thinking about your next weekend breakfast!

Recipes:

Ricotta Pancakes
Adapted from The Kitchn and Recipe Tin Eats

- Makes approximately 8 pancakes - 

1 cup full-fat ricotta cheese*
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

* You want to use firm, dry ricotta for this recipe.  So unless your ricotta is already dry and compact, place the ricotta in a fine-mesh sieve and set it over a bowl to drain for about 30 minutes to get rid of the excess liquid.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt together in a small bowl.

In a larger bowl, mix the ricotta, milk, egg yolks and vanilla together until smooth.  Add the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Whisk the egg whites vigorously with a whisk for about 30 seconds, until the whites are foamy on top (it's fine for it to still be runny underneath).  Fold the egg whites into the batter until just incorporated and you have a thick batter.

Grease a griddle or nonstick pan over medium heat.  Using a 1/3 cup measure, spoon batter onto the griddle and cook on the first side for 1-2 minutes, or until bubbles begin to surface around the edges.  Flip and cook the second side until golden.  Continue with the remaining batter.  Serve pancakes warm with maple syrup or blueberry compote (recipe below).


Blueberry Compote
From Ellie Krieger

- Makes about 1 1/2 cups - 

2 cups frozen blueberries, divided
3 tablespoons water
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Place 1 cup of the blueberries, the water, sugar, and lemon juice into a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring or swirling the pan frequently.  Add the remaining blueberries and continue to cook for another 8 minutes.  

Serve warm with pancakes or waffles.