These strawberry ricotta hotcakes are beautiful for a lazy Sunday breakfast with the kids. Fluffy and moist, adding ricotta cheese makes these the ultimate in sweet but healthy breakfast treats. The addition of a little brown sugar gives them a hint of caramel flavour.
I have fond memories of making pancakes and fritters in school holidays as a kid. Being involved in the creation, sneaking bites of the pancakes hot off the pan was always the best. These ricotta Hotcakes are moist and fluffy due to the ricotta addition. Don’t worry too much about if there is a cheesey lump or two in the batter, they will melt and smooth out while cooking. I adore Hotcakes cooked in good quality melted butter. I love the way it soaks into the hotcakes a little bit, adding a delicious browned butter flavour. For this reason, this is a special occasion breakfast.
My Canadian loves these doused in maple syrup and with bacon; however I prefer fruit. We have a booming strawberry patch in the backyard which is the main reason we’re eating these at the moment. However, blueberries are coming down in price and make a gorgeous addition. Raspberries would be lovely, as would poached rhubarb.
The ricotta hotcakes are beautiful for Christmas breakfast. Leave the batter for a little bit so the gluten relaxes. It means they’ll be beautiful and fluffy. Over summer, I will trial these with different flours – rye and spelt are firm favourites at the moment. I love the flavour of chickpea crepes, made with chickpea flour. However, I feel these hotcakes need a neutral flour to hold the flavour of the hotcakes.
One element that must never be forgotten is to serve these with friends, family and little ones. A sweet breakfast shared is one of the most beautiful aspects of life – make these this Christmas and make lovely memories.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1x egg
- 200gm ricotta
- Butter for cooking
- 200gm fresh strawberries to serve
- Maple syrup to serve
Instructions
In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre and put aside. In a jug, whisk together the milk, egg and ricotta cheese until combined. Gradually mix the milk and cheese mixture into the flour until all ingredients are combined.
Heat a frying pan over a medium heat with a tablespoon of butter. Add a big spoonful of bater to the pan ad cook for 3 minutes or so. When bubbles happen on the surface, it's time to flip. Cook the second side a further minute or two. We transfer the cooked pancakes to the a tray int he oven, where they can keep warm while we repeat with the rest of the batter. Serve with dousing of maple syrup, fresh strawberries and lots of laughter.
