Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

I had leftover ricotta sitting in my fridge from my Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes and thought I should try a new pancake recipe. I was too lazy to get out the Kitchen Aid mixer, so I thought this recipe looked simple enough. Taste-wise, the Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes can't be beat, but this pancake actually tastes better on day 2, 3, 4 ... you get the picture. If you have leftover ricotta, this is a great recipe to make and keep the leftovers in the fridge for breakfast during the week. The original recipe calls for lemon curd and fresh raspberries for toppings. I didn't have either of those so I omitted them.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Bobby Flay

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 milk

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Butter, for griddle

1 (11-ounce) jar prepared lemon curd (optional)

Fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional)

Confectioners' sugar, for garnish (optional)

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.

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.

Optional

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.

Aren't I becoming a pro at flipping pancakes? =)

Here's why I think these taste better on day 2 and 3. When you first taste the pancake fresh from the griddle, the nutmeg and the lemon zest are very profound and it can be a bit jarring. But after a few days the flavors seem to mellow out a bit and you get a really well balanced pancake flavor. I'm not sure why that is, but it's just what I discovered. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!