Ricotta Hotcakes

These are breakfast pancakes summer-style, ridiculously light, and lemony somehow even without the addition of lemon. If you imagine the flavour of cheesecake combined with a texture that's best described as a kind of souffled griddle cake, you're somewhere near getting the measure of these.

250 grams ricotta cheese (full-fat / wholemilk)

125 millilitres semi skimmed milk

2 large eggs (separated)

100 grams plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons groundnut oil

250 grams chopped strawberries (or other berries of your choice)

1 cup ricotta cheese (full-fat / wholemilk)

½ cup reduced fat milk

2 large eggs (separated)

⅔ cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

2 teaspoons peanut oil

8 ounces chopped strawberries (or other berries of your choice)

Method

Put the ricotta, milk and egg yolks into a bowl and mix well to combine. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt and gently whisk to make a smooth batter. Beat the egg whites until they become foamy — this isn't hard work even, whisking by hand, which is all that's needed here — and then fold them into the ricotta mixture.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and drop in heaped dessertspoons of batter.

Cook the pancakes for about 1 minute until golden and then flip them over and cook for another minute. Keep the cooked pancakes warm, by tenting with foil on a large warmed plate, while you work your way through the batter, and then serve with syrup — if you must — and strawberries.

Additional Information

MAKE AHEAD / STORE: It is not advisable to make ahead or store.