Wow, almost a month since my last post!
Here’s the deal: My lighting has been down. Dear Husband got sick of me complaining about my photos. He insisted it wasn’t the camera; it was the lighting. Flash on, flash off, natural light…didn’t matter.. I HATED how the photos of my food were turning out.
So I now have a lighting system with two big, bright bulbs that make all the difference. But it used to be set up in the dining room; convenient for taking food photos but had to taken down when we entertained friends for dinner. So after a few weeks we decided to set it up in a spare room upstairs. I think I need to experiment with placement of lights a bit more, but I like having the system out of way.
Anyway-on to the pancakes. Sort of a staple of the weekend breakfast in this house; always made with the box mix. I love the box mix, I have no problem admitting that; easy, turns out every time and delicious. But I have been wanting to try homemade versions of foods that we traditionally eat in processed, mix, or pre-made forms.
One course of action would have been homemade buttermilk pancakes, but I have seen several recipes for ricotta pancakes and they sounded so good. I love ricotta and I was really intrigued with the idea of using it in pancakes.
Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart
In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla and orange zest. Whisk in flour until just combined. Pour batter into a measuring cup.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Working in batches, add batter, using a scant ¼ cup for each pancake. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve hot, dusted with confectioners’ sugar or drizzled with maple syrup. Makes 4 serving.
The batter is much thicker than I am used to and makes a thick, dense cake. I have been guilty of over-mixing since forever and I think I may have done so with the batter. It is just so easy to keep whisking. 😛
They definitely take 4-5 minutes per side to cook. Which seems like forever compared to a box mix of standard cakes.
I loved the flavor with the ricotta and orange. They really stayed with me too. I am always starving in the morning and usually hungry by mid-morning despite always eating breakfast. Not with these pancakes!
It’s always great to have lots of underfoot help in the kitchen. 🙂
