Recipes by Zola - Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

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Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

Zola Gorgon

Pancake Hints and Secrets...

I started working at Quaker Oats in 1979. My boss was the head of marketing for Aunt Jemima worldwide. That meant our team was in charge of all the pancake mixes. And you know that Quaker Oats produces a LOT of pancake mix; more than any other company in the world. Syrup too.

I was the one that got to type all of the reports. The quality control reports were the most interesting. It was impressive reading about how clean the processing plants were. I became rather loyal to Quaker Oats' products. This many years later, I still am.

I was on the team when the first concept of a "complete" pancake mix surfaced. The test kitchens were quite proud when they figured out a pancake mix formulation that only required the cook to add water. The pancakes were quite tasty too. So when I decided recently to invent my own "gourmet pancake" recipe, I was torn between starting from scratch with flour or going back to the ever dependable Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Complete. You could say I took the easy way out by choosing to go with the mix as a base, but the ingredients are really the same. It's just that with the mix, the ingredients are measured out, they are all in one package and you don't have as much left over. When you go to try this recipe, feel free to use your own pancake recipe or another company's mix. I just like Quaker and Aunt Jemima. If you go your own route you'll only be adding the ricotta and the lemon peel.

I decided with this column that I'd share some of the pancake hints and secrets I learned at Quaker Oats. These were all news to me at the time.

Hint #1. Don't over mix the pancake batter. If you swirl, stir or beat the mix too much the pancakes will be tough as a result. Just mix lightly, enough to get the dry elements mixed in, but then stop.

Hint #2. Let the batter sit 5 - 15 minutes before you start to make your pancakes. This gives the leavening agents in the batter time to "fluff" up the batter so your pancakes will be even lighter.

Hint #3. Only flip once. Flipping pancakes over and over, again makes them tough. Cook the first side, flip and cook the other side. Then serve.

Hint #4. When the pancakes are on the griddle, watch for bubbles and holes. This is how you know when to flip. When the pancakes begin to look like they are "breathing" that is just about the time to flip them. You'll see bubbles form and then they pop leaving air holes. When this gets rolling it's a pretty good indicator that the griddle side of the pancake is now a nice golden brown, and time to flip. Try this without peeking and your pancakes will be evenly shaped and will flip without cracking.

Enough hints. Let's get on with the recipe for the fluffiest, dreamiest, gourmet pancakes I've ever made. The blueberry sauce is a hit too. You can serve the pancakes with just blueberry sauce or go really overboard and serve with blueberry sauce and a light drizzle of syrup.

Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

Makes approximately 10, 3" pancakes. Can be doubled

For the Pancakes
2 cups of Aunt Jemima Buttermilk Complete pancake mix
1-1/2 cups of water
1 cup of low fat ricotta cheese
1 Tbl of dried lemon peel (or fresh) - optional, but lovely
butter

For the Blueberry sauce
1 bag of blueberries (frozen or thawed) Approx. 4 cups of berries
1/3 cup of white sugar
2 tsp of cornstarch
2 Tbl of water

Making the pancakes.

Put all of the ingredients except the butter in a large mixing bowl. Hint: Scatter blobs of the ricotta across the surface so it's not all in one lump. Mix with a whisk or spoon until the dry ingredients are mixed in. Do not over-mix. Let batter set for 5 - 15 minutes while you heat the griddle.

Heat your griddle (375 degrees) or two large saute pans on medium high. Grease the entire surface with butter spray and then put in 1 or 2 tsp of butter. As the butter melts spread it around. The easy way to pour the batter onto the pan is to use a measuring cup. Dip the cup into the batter and carry it over the griddle or pan and pour. You want about a quarter cup of batter (or slightly more) per pancake. Pour the batter droppings at least 3" apart so the pancakes have room to spread.

Cook 2 - 3 minutes per side. Watch for several bubbles to form and pop as an indicator of when to flip the pancakes.

See pancake hints for other ideas. If you are making lots of pancakes you can store them on low heat on a cookie sheet in your oven. Any time you delay serving, however, your pancakes will begin to lose their fluffiness.

Re-grease the surface of your pan(s) in-between batches of pancakes.

Making the blueberry sauce.

Put the blueberries and sugar in a medium sauce pan. Combine the cornstarch and water in a separate cup and blend until the cornstarch is incorporated. Then pour this solution over the blueberries. Turn on medium high. Stir to melt the sugar and keep the blueberries from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Let cook until the blueberries begin to bubble and the sauce begins to thicken. This will take 5 - 10 minutes; depending on whether you start with frozen berries or thawed. The thickening tells you when it's done. It will look like blueberry pie filling, but a tad runnier.

Serve the blueberry sauce warm, cold or room temperature. The sauce will form a slight film on the top as it cools. Just stir before putting it on the pancakes.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola

Send email to Zola at dinnerwithzola@hotmail.com.

This news arrived on: 04/07/2008

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