Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blackberry Sauce

I am not sure what to say other than these are seriously amazing- the best homemade pancakes that I have ever made! I do not like lasagna because I do not like ricotta cheese. However, this recipe has me loving ricotta. The lemon zest really does the trick. They are super light with an airy texture and with this fresh fruit topping you won't want to use the traditional syrup. The blackberry sauce paired really well with these lemon ricotta pancakes. Please try these. You can freeze any leftovers for another weekend breakfast, or afternoon snack :)

Ingredients:

For the blackberry sauce:
12 oz. blackberries, rinsed and drained
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. cold water
( I added a little bit more water towards the end)

For the pancakes:
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup milk
3 large eggs, separate the yolks and whites
Zest and juice of 1 lemon 

(my lemon was really large, so I zested all but used only half of the juice)

1 cup + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup sugar

 Directions:

To make the blackberry sauce, combine the blackberries and sugar in a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries begin to release some of their juices and the mixture is simmering.  Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl; whisk until smooth.  Add the cornstarch mixture to the blackberries and mix well.  Reduce the heat to medium and let cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture comes to a low boil and thickens slightly.  Remove from the heat and keep warm if desired.  The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.

To make the pancakes, combine the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, lemon zest and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl.  Whisk to combine.  Add in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt and mix just until incorporated.  

In another mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy.  Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and continue to beat, adding the sugar gradually.

Fold one third of the egg white mixture into the ricotta mixture with a spatula until completely incorporated. Add in the remaining egg whites and fold in gently until the mixture is smooth and light.

Heat a griddle or skillet over medium heat.  Grease with cooking spray.  Ladle ½ cup of batter onto the cooking surface for each pancake.  Allow to cook until bubbles begin to form on the top surface.  Use a large spatula to carefully flip the pancake and cook the other side until light golden and cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter.  If desired, keep finished pancakes warm in a 200˚ F oven until all the batter is cooked.  Serve warm with fresh blackberry sauce.

Source: Williams Sonoma