Helen's Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Fresh Blueberries
This is one of my most favorite recipes ever! It's great for breakfast, brunch or dinner. The girls and I were on tour once, and as usual we were looking for good places to eat. It was in San Francisco, and we heard about this place that served Lemon Ricotta pancakes. It sounded like the most delightful thing ever. We never made it to the spot, but I had dreamed about them everyday for a year until I decided to make them myself. Here is my version, with a little help from one of my favorite cookbooks. One huge tip is to use the best ricotta cheese for this. If you have an Italian grocery nearby go get some good ricotta cheese. If not, any whole milk ricotta will be fine! I tried low fat ricotta once, and it just wasn't as good. Take my word for it. Use the real stuff!

For the pancakes
4 large eggs, separated
1 1/3 cups ricotta
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
melted butter for brushing the griddle
Fresh blueberries
maple syrup as an accompaniment

Make the pancakes:
In a bowl whisk together the egg yolks, the ricotta, the sugar, and the zest, add the flour, and stir the mixture until it is just combined.

In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold stiff peaks, whisk about one fourth of them into the ricotta mixture, and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly.

Heat a griddle over moderately high heat until it is hot enough to make drops of water scatter over its surface - brush it with some of the melted butter. Working in batches, pour the batter onto the griddle by about 1/4-cup measures and cook the pancakes for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until they are nice and golden, brushing the griddle with some of the melted butter as necessary. As the pancakes finish, keep them warm on a heatproof platter in an oven heated to 200°.

Serve with a sprinkling of fresh blueberries and warm maple syrup.

Past Pontani Sisters' Recipes
Chicken Pontani Balsamica as per Mamma Pontani
Angie's Ranchero meets Jack Daniels Marinade!
Angie's Simple Sauce
Angie Chaca
Pontani-Esca!
Grandma Jo's Tomato & Cucumber Salad
Tara's New Year's Lentil Soup
Angie's Angels Are Among Us Cookies