Zesty Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

August 2, 2013 by Laura Haugen 2 Comments

Hello, blueberry season! It’s been a long time since we’ve lived in blueberry country during the summer, so we are enjoying these flavorful berries fresh by the basketful from our local farm. The other day I made blueberry ricotta pancakes with some orange zest and vanilla and a blueberry and syrup topping for a flavor-intense and antioxidant-rich breakfast. Zesting the oranges alone was a wonderful way to start the morning – talk about aroma therapy – and the fluffy, tangy, sweet pancakes that followed were divine.

Zesty Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbs. sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup lowfat milk
• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• zest of one orange
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 + cups blueberries and maple syrup to taste

Directions:  In one bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg, cheese, milk, orange juice, butter, zest, and vanilla. Stir this into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Add about two cups of the blueberries and lightly fold, careful not to turn the whole mixture blue!

Heat a large pan over medium heat and add a pat of butter. Scoop batter with a 1/4 cup into the pan, 3 or 4 at one time. Poke some additional blueberries in any white spaces that look like they could use them. The pancakes will be quite thick and uneven; you can smooth out the tops and lightly shape them with a spatula, but trust me, they are just as delicious misshapen! You will start to see tiny bubbles on the top after a few minutes; carefully lift an edge up to see if they are dark golden brown, and flip to the other side. Continue to cook til dark golden brown (monitor how the middle is setting up, and turn the heat lower and cook a little longer if not quite done in middle). Top with extra blueberries (I microwaved a cupful so they were warm and oozing sweetness!) and maple syrup to taste. Garnish with orange wedges and enjoy your morning!

Serves 4 (about 12 pancakes)

Advertisement