Lemon Sunshine-- Ricotta Pancakes and Lemon Curd

I have no idea why, but my fridge has too much ricotta cheese and an abundance of Meyer lemons! Then I remembered a recipe from Bobby Flay (Food Network) on making ricotta pancakes. It's been over a year since I've made these, so I went to my "Recipe Keeper Binder" and there it was! I opened a jar of lemon curd from Trader Joe's (I was feeling lazy) and I paused...

Ugh. The best used by date was March 2007 and the curd looked...well, brown!


I hesitated. Do I really want to make my own lemon curd? My stomach growled.

OK, I'll do it! I was glad that I did-- seriously, it took 10 minutes to make my own and it's so good and so delicious...and so easy!


I stopped buying Bisquick and pancake mix a long time ago. Making pancakes, from scratch, is so easy and I think they taste much better. Adding ricotta cheese to pancake mix produces tender, and fluffy pancakes. Oh, and I realized (after I made the lemon curd) that my son had polished off all of the milk! Fortunately, I keep 2% buttermilk in my fridge as a "staple". My son was redeemed (after a lecture about writing things on my grocery list) because the buttermilk made the pancakes even better!These pancakes reheat, well, in the microwave. I had stashed the last two for my breakfast, since I'm home alone for a day of vacation. Too late! My son found them. He says they were delicious.

Sigh.

Ricotta Pancakes
adapted from a recipe by Bobby Flay
(click here for printable recipe)

Ingredients
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk (I used 2%)
1 lemon, zested and juiced (see my note in directions)
Butter, for griddle
1 (11-ounce) jar prepared lemon curd (I make my own!)

(optional):Fresh raspberries, for garnish
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish

Directions Preheat a nonstick griddle.
Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and sugar in a small bowl.
Whisk together the cheese, eggs, milk, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl.
(note: I skipped adding the lemon juice and zest and my pancakes turned out great!)
Whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.
Brush the hot griddle with butter.
For each pancake, pour approximately 1/4 cup measure of the batter on the griddle and cook on both sides until light golden brown. Repeat until no batter remains.

For those of you who don't make my lemon curd recipe:
Empty the contents of the lemon curd into a small saucepan and warm over low heat. Alternatively, remove the lid and place in a microwave oven on 50 percent power for 2 minutes, stopping after 1 minute to stir the curd.
Drizzle a few tablespoons of the curd over the pancakes, top with fresh raspberries, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
NOTE: I add a thin layer of lemon curd between my pancakes.