Published Carolina Country Magazine February 2020
I’m not a big pancake eater, but when thinking about ideas for February issue of Carolina Country, hearty breakfast came to mind. I’ve had some tasty pancakes here and there… and especially love those with nuts in them. So I set out to create a good one of my own… that included nuts, but also a bright little note of lemon. These lemon ricotta pancakes turned out pretty darn tasty!
Of course, they deserved more that just a bottled syrup, and you can certainly use your favorite… but I wanted to include fresh blueberries too. So voila… this blueberry-maple syrup! Be sure to add the fresh lemon juice and zest… it makes a big difference in flavor!
I think the whole family will enjoy these… and pancakes are a fun recipe to let your aspiring chefs help in the kitchen. Let them measure and mix up this tasty batter. You can keep extra in the fridge for a few days to make at a moment’s notice. But you can also make ahead and freeze to warm quickly in the microwave. Just cook, cool and flash freeze. Once frozen, put your pancakes into a freezer zippered bag.
What is flash freezing? Simply place whatever you are freezing in a single layer on a baking pan. Place in freezer. Once fully frozen, bag and freeze. That way you can remove only what you need as the food will not be frozen in a big clump!
And if you’re looking for a “breakfast in bed” for your honey… here you go! Who wouldn’t love these set before them, with a side of my Chicken Breakfast Sausage?
So round up what you need and stir up a batch of these pancakes for a comfort food breakfast… or supper on a chilly winter’s day.
And come on over to my fun facebook community where we’ll chat about this and all sorts of other goodies!
Whole Grain Nutty Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Syrup
Ingredients
Pancakes:
- ¾ cup old fashioned oats
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup solid coconut oil
- 1 egg plus 1 egg white
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- ¼ cup chopped blanched almonds
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- zest and juice of 2 small lemons
Blueberry Maple Syrup
- 1 pint blueberries
- 1 stick butter
- ¾ cup blueberry jelly
- ½ cup maple syrup
- pinch salt
Instructions
Pancakes:
- Lightly oil nonstick skillet, and preheat it to medium heat.
- Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
- In another bowl combine buttermilk, cheese, oil, egg, honey and extract with mixer until smooth.
- Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Fold in nuts, zest and juice.
- Ladle 1/3 cup of batter onto the hot skillet and cook the pancakes for 2 to 4 minutes per side or until brown.
Blueberry Maple Syrup
- Sauté blueberries in butter over medium heat until tender. Add jelly, syrup and salt. Continue heating until syrup consistency. Can be stored in refrigerator for about 1 week. Makes about 2 cups.
