pancakes we can agree on

i am not much for pancakes. i find that often they fall apart into a soggy mess that is less than appetizing. sean however is a pancake fiend. sometimes he wants to make them for us, but i would rather just have my morning coffee than choke down the syrup-soaked disks. often this is discouraging for him and he usually mopes at the table with his cereal. so, i set out to find a pancake we could agree on, thus uniting us in weekend breakfast contentment. i have seen many recipes for ricotta pancakes and figured they might be something i would like. i mean, cheese in the batter? yes please. the egg whites are whipped and folded into the batter, this step might seem annoying and unnecessary, but trust me it is well worth it. these pancakes are perfectly light, they don’t fall apart when topped with syrup…or the amaretto peaches i made…and most importantly they were a pancake sean and i could agree on.

amaretto peaches

3 ripe peaches
1/4 cup amaretto liqueur
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

put all ingredients into a medium saucepan and cook over med-low heat–allowing peaches to release their juices and create a syrup. simmer until desired thickness is reached.

ricotta pancakes
makes about 12 small pancakes
adapted from this recipe over at smitten kitchen. i didn’t have lemon zest and i added some half and half since i had it and wanted a slightly looser batter.

4 large eggs, separated
2 tbsp half and half
1 1/3 cups ricotta
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Melted butter for brushing the griddle

preheat oven to 200 F.

separate eggs, setting aside whites. whisk together yolks, half and half, ricotta, and sugar until well combined. stir in flour until just combined. whip egg whites with mixer (or by hand if you are feeling ambitious) with salt until stiff, but not dry, peaks are formed. fold whites into batter until just combined. heat a nonstick skillet brushed with melted butter over medium heat (too high and that butter will burn!). pour batter by desired measurements (i do about a 1/4 cup, i like small pancakes) and cook on one side until bubble form and flip–cooking an additional minute. keep pancakes warm in oven until ready to serve.