Say Cheese

Anyone who reads this blog (and bless your little hearts you loyal few) knows that I am a big fan of breakfast. I'll eat breakfast foods any time of day. That challah french toast I had in Philadelphia last weekend is still on my mind. It's kind of sick. I usually try to whip up something a little special on the weekends when E and I are lazing around the house doing jack. This weekend I just happened to have a bit of extra ricotta and a whole bowl of quickly ripening apples to work with. Thankfully, it's cheese week at IHCC, and Mark just happened to have this little pancake recipe posted. Now, I've made cottage cheese pancakes plenty of times and love them, but this was the first time using ricotta. Interestingly enough, while I put our plates out on the table to eat, E had turned on Food Network. Tyler Florence was whipping up pancakes, too. With ricotta. And baked apple topping. Go figure. Check out Tyler's menu here if you wish, but really, they didn't look as fluffy as these!


Whole Wheat Ricotta Pancakes with Fall Fruit Compote
Adapted from Mark Bittman's recipe for Light and Fluffy Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 eggs, separated
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
dash of salt
1 Tbls. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup chopped pecans (for serving)

Preparation: 
In a medium bowl, whisk dry ingredients and set aside. In another bowl, beat egg yolks, ricotta, yogurt, and half of the buttermilk. In a third bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Blend dry ingredients into ricotta mixture until just combined. Gently fold egg whites into ricotta mixture. If the batter is very thick, you may thin it with a little of the reserved buttermilk, just fold it in carefully so as not to deflate the egg whites. Spoon batter onto a hot, greased griddle. Cook about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Serve with compote and chopped pecans.

Fall Fruit Compote
Ingredients:
5 Macintosh apples, peeled and sliced into chunks
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried cherries
2 Tbls. lemon juice
1 cup apple juice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbls. butter

Preparation:
In a medium sauce pan, bring apples, juices, and sugar to a boil over medium high heat. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. As the apples begin to soften, use a spoon to break them apart if needed. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, cherries, and butter and reduce heat to a simmer. Continue cooking and stirring for 20 more minutes or until thickened.

Print the Recipe

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