Soufflé-Style Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Cloud-light pancakes built on whole-milk ricotta and a whole lemon's worth of zest, with whipped egg whites folded in at the last second for real soufflé lift. They puff tall in the pan, stay custardy in the middle, and need nothing more than a slick of butter and warm maple syrup — though macerated berries make it look like brunch you paid for.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta, well drained
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced (about 1 tbsp zest, 3 tbsp juice)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar (optional)

• 2 cups mixed berries
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, warmed
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. If your ricotta looks wet, spoon it into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and let it drain for 10 minutes while you prep everything else. Excess whey is the number one cause of gummy ricotta pancakes.
2. Toss the berries with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice in a small bowl. Set aside to macerate at room temperature while you cook; they'll release syrup on their own.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a second bowl, whisk the drained ricotta, milk, egg yolks, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, vanilla, and melted butter until fairly smooth — a little ricotta texture is good.
5. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. The batter will be thick, like soft spackle. Stop mixing; lumps are fine.
6. In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium-high speed until they hold soft, droopy peaks — about 2 to 3 minutes with a hand mixer. Stop before they look dry or clumpy; over-whipped whites won't fold in and will deflate in the pan.
7. Stir one-third of the whites into the batter to loosen it, then fold in the remaining whites in two additions, cutting down through the center and sweeping up the side, turning the bowl as you go. Stop while you can still see faint streaks of white — roughly 12 to 15 folds total.
8. Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat (about 300°F on an electric griddle) and brush with a thin film of butter. Low and slow is essential: these are thick and need time for the center to set before the outside browns.
9. Scoop scant 1/3-cup mounds of batter into the pan, leaving 2 inches between them, and gently nudge each into a 3 1/2-inch round about 3/4 inch thick. Do not press them flat. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the edges look dry and matte and the bottoms are deep golden.
10. Flip once, confidently, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until the second side is golden and the pancake springs back with a light touch in the center. Transfer to a wire rack (not a plate — steam makes the bottoms soggy) and repeat with the remaining batter, re-buttering the pan and adjusting the heat down if the pancakes are browning faster than 3 minutes per side.
11. Serve immediately, dusted with powdered sugar, with the macerated berries and warm maple syrup alongside. To hold them for a crowd, keep the rack of pancakes in a 200°F oven for up to 20 minutes.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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