Make these fluffy pancakes the centerpiece of a Mother’s Day brunch or serve them to weekend guests you want to impress. The pancakes have no leavening other than beaten egg whites; they are almost soufflé like. You can make the blueberry sauce the night before and reheat to serve.
Ingredients
Blueberry sauce
- 1 pint blueberries
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Pancakes
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta
- 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup blueberries
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Unsalted butter, softened, for serving (optional)
Makes about a dozen 3 to 4-inch pancakes
Pair with
Directions
Prepare the blueberry sauce: Set aside ½ cup of the blueberries. Put the remaining berries in a small saucepan with the maple syrup and ¼ cup water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries completely collapse, about 10 minutes. The mixture will still be thin. Remove from the heat and stir in the reserved ½ cup berries. Let cool to room temperature; it will thicken as it cools. Rewarm gently to serve.
Prepare the pancakes: Preheat a griddle or large skillet to medium-low. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, salt, and vanilla until pale and thick. Whisk in the milk, then the ricotta, whisking until smooth. Add the flour, whisking just until blended. In another bowl, by hand or with an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to firm peaks. Gently fold them into the batter.
Lightly brush the griddle with melted butter in the spots where you intend to make pancakes. You can make the pancakes any size you choose; this batter is sufficient to make about a dozen 3- to 4-inch pancakes. Spoon the batter onto the griddle in desired amounts; ¼ cup batter will make about a 4-inch pancake. Dot the top with blueberries. Cook until nicely browned on the bottom, then turn with an offset spatula and cook on the second side until nicely browned, about 2 minutes per side.
Transfer the pancakes to serving plates as they are done. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and spoon warm blueberry sauce over and around them. Serve immediately, with butter if desired.