Ricotta Pancakes with Banana-Pecan Syrup

{I am giving away one of my favorite healthy cookbooks, don't forget to enter the giveaway}

Ricotta Pancakes with Banana-Pecan Syrup - Featured on Foodgawker today. 

Well, it was pancake Sunday again, light and fluffy pancakes were the order of the day and I immediately thought of Ricotta Pancakes.  They are incredibly delicious, light and fluffy.  Mr. W loved them and so did Em.  Home run for a Sunday breakfast.  We enjoyed a late breakfast and could have eaten two plates of these delicious pancakes.  The banana-pecan syrup is a decadent addition that you can leave out if you are watching your calories.  We decided to splurge for this breakfast.  These pancakes are incredible with chocolate chips or just butter and syrup.  You can also make a divine apple cinnamon syrup topping for these pancakes, I am sure I will be sharing those from an upcoming pancake Sunday.

It is always a pleasure sitting down with my family to a meal we can all enjoy.  To hear Mr. W say he loved my "Fluffy Pancakes" after knowing that he despises ricotta cheese made my heart sing.  Em's chorus of "Mmmmmm"s lifts me to the clouds.  What a delightful breakfast as I ate my Ricotta Pancakes with 'my heart singing in the clouds'.  I hope you enjoy as much as I did!  Buon Appetito.

On a different note, Lynne at 365 Day of Baking honored me by asking if I would do my first guest post on her blog 365 Days of Baking.  She has a wonderful blog, and an honest scoring system.  She gives each dish a score in number of rolling pins.  I love this method.  Lets you know before you make the dish if it is worth the effort.  So in keeping with the theme of her blog, I decided that I wanted to make a baked dessert.  I made an incredible Chocolate Sformato with Amaretto Whipped Cream that I would love for your to check out.  I definitely give this 4 rolling pins and would make it again.

Recipe from The Cheese Lover's Cookbook and Guide.

Ricotta Pancakes with Banana-Pecan Syrup

For the Banana-Pecan Syrup:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 small bananas, thinly sliced (3/4 cup)

1 cup cane or maple syrup

For the Ricotta Pancakes:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, separated

2 cups milk

4 ounces ricotta, well drained (1/2 cup)

Butter or vegetable oil

For the Banana-Pecan Syrup:

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the nuts and saute for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.

Add the bananas and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the syrup and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until the syrup is hot and slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and set aside in a warm place.

For the Ricotta Pancakes:
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt together in a sieve over a medium bowl. Beat the egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer or whisk until stiff but not dry.

Beat the egg yolks, milk, and ricotta together in a large bowl until well blended and smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix gently with a large spoon. Stir a spoonful of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites with a rubber spatula.

Warm a serving platter in a 200 degree F oven.

Heat a nonstick flat griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot. Grease with butter or vegetable oil. Pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter per pancake onto the pan and cook for about 2 minutes, or until bubbles form on the surface, then flip the pancakes over using a large wide spatula.

 

Cook on the other side for 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the pancakes to the warm platter.

Serve immediately or hold in the oven while you cook the rest of the pancakes. Serve the pancakes on heated plates topped with the syrup.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com