Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Some of my Meyer Lemons. Aren’t they beautiful?

When my small grandchildren came over to visit they spotted the lemons on our two Meyer lemon trees…and were drawn like moths to a flame…touching and marveling at the colors. I told my son to pick one for them to see and smell. Well, that started a process that in short order denuded the trees. Fortunately, it was time for the lemons to be picked.

Anne Burrell is one of my favorite chefs on the Food Network and this is part of her recipe for Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. I knew I would be trying this one because…well, I had all those Meyer Lemons that the kids had picked. I also had two containers of ricotta cheese in the refrigerator. Doesn’t everyone keep ricotta on hand? So, come with me as we make these mouthwatering pancakes. Oh, did I tell you that I’m a sucker for anything tart? I absolutely love lemons.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar/Splenda/Stevia
1/2 tsp. salt, plus a pinch for egg whites
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs, separated
1 heaping cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup milk
2 Meyer lemons, zested and juiced
Butter for cooking the pancakes Note: I used Olive Oil
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Syrup

Zest two Meyer lemons.

Then juice the lemons to get every last drop! Set aside.

Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Separate egg yolks from egg whites.

In another bowl, combine the egg yolks, ricotta, milk, lemon zest and juice and mix until homogeneous (That’s Anne’s word…cool, isn’t it?)

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Whisk until combined.

Preheat your griddle or skillet to medium.

In another bowl, using a whisk or electric mixer, add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the flour mixture.

Melt small pats of butter or Olive oil onto the preheated griddle or skillet and spread around with a paper towel to remove any excess butter/Olive oil. Spoon the pancake batter onto the griddle or skillet to desired size for your pancakes. When the top of the pancake is full of holes, like bubbles have risen to the surface and burst, the pancake is ready to flip. Flip the pancakes over and cook until the bottom is golden brown.

Remove from pan to serving plate.

Garnish however you wish and top with powdered sugar or syrup.

Bits & Pieces:

My thanks to Anne Burrell for developing such a wonderful tasting dish. If you can get Meyer lemons, by all means spend the extra money it will cost you. The taste is tartly sweet. The pancakes have a subtle aroma of lemon that doesn’t overwhelm. May I show you one more picture of these beauties? Well, it’s actually of the zest. The zest is almost like a perfume and it makes you smile!