Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes with Lemony Whipped Ricotta
Secrets of the pancake batter
Tempering the eggs and buttermilk – Tempering the eggs and buttermilk in a double boiler helps the batter to emulsify and make airier pancakes. This step may seem like a hassle, but it’s really very quick and easy. It also helps you to not overmix the batter.
Malt Powder – I’ve always been a huge fan of malt milkshakes so I have a tin of malt powder in my pantry. I like adding this to the pancakes because it adds some depth of flavor. Of course, if you don’t have malt powder, or don’t like it, this step is optional and leaving it out won’t have an effect on anything but the flavor. You could also experiment with adding a little extra if you love malt flavor like me.
Melted Butter – this little bit of added butter, along with the buttermilk adds a ton of buttery flavor to the pancakes.
Blueberry Syrup Instead of Blueberry Pancakes
While you could do both if you wanted, I prefer blueberry syrup to adding blueberries in my pancakes. I feel like keeping the pancakes plain makes the cooking a lot easier and neater. I also find that syrup tastes much more blueberry-y than adding them in the batter.
This syrup can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. You can just reheat is a pot or in the microwave when you need it. It’s also great used cold as a yogurt topping. I always have some left over when making these pancakes, so I’ve found all sorts of uses for it, it’s really great for anything you’d like to add some blueberry to.
Topping with Ricotta
Because these pancakes are quite rich, I love topping them with cold ricotta flavored with fresh lemon.
Another great option is whipped cream, which you could buy or make fresh. To be honest, I like topping with both ricotta and whipped cream.
Ingredients
Method
- Combine all ricotta, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small mixing bowl
- Whisk by hand or with a mixer until light and fluffy. Cover and store in the fridge until needed.
- Combine blueberries, water, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small pot.
- Heat pot on medium heat until simmering.
- Crush blueberries to your liking with the syrup is simmering.
- Simmer syrup until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Combine eggs and buttermilk in a glass or metal bowl or the top part of a double boiler.
- Heat a small amount of water over low heat in a small pot until simmering and place the bowl on top.
- Whisk eggs until it reaches body temperature. You can test by touching or using a thermometer. The eggs and buttermilk should look smooth and fully mixed.
- In a separate, medium sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and malt powder if using.
- Mix the egg/buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Melt the butter, and mix into the pancake batter until there are just small lumps left in the batter.
- Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat and wait until the pan is hot. Oil or butter the pan and pour in batter to the size of your liking. I use a 1/2 cup measure to scoop the batter.
- Flip pancakes when the top looks bubbly and cook until the bottom is golden brown.
- Top pancakes with blueberry syrup and ricotta and enjoy!
