Its a mouthful to say – but a mouthful of something delicious!
These fluffy ricotta pancakes with rosemary cream and simple blueberry sauce are a match made in tastebud heaven. Inspired by a brunch dish we used to order regularly at a local fave brunch place back in pre-COVID days when things like going out to brunch was actually a thing. Unfortunately, since COVID we have not had a chance to really enjoy going out for brunch, or even order from our fave little brunch shops (I even messaged them to ask!), so I took matters into my own hands and made our own version at home. Of course now things are opening up and we can get the real deal too. But we made this enough times I decided it deserved a place on my blog too. ‘Cause everyone keeps saying there is going to be that second wave coming… so we may need this again sooner than we think! :s
I used this fluffy ricotta pancake recipe from the kitchn site. These pancakes are very thick and fluffy and have an almost custard like centre, created from the addition of the ricotta to the batter. The fluffy secret comes from using whipped egg whites in the batter. I have made these both ways, (with separating and whipping the egg whites, or just adding the whole egg straight in without separating and whipping) and both turned out really soft and fluffy. The difference was not that much, so feel free to skip the separating and whipping, if you don’t want to bother.
The rosemary cream is a spin off from a basic pastry cream from the epicurious site. And the blueberry sauce is my own, a simple blueberry compote.
Topping the pancakes with the rosemary cream and simple blueberry sauce take the whole thing to the next level. The flavours work so well together. It is a great one to add to your brunch faves list!
In the restaurant version, they sprinkle some bee pollen on top of the pancakes as a final touch. Bee pollen is not something that is easy to find. But I managed to find some at a local virtual farmers market! So I got lucky, but you can totally skip this if it is not something you have lying around. They are a bit pricey and hard to find! The rest of this recipe is very easy to make with things I normally have in my kitchen. And any leftover blueberry sauce or rosemary cream can be topped on so much more! Try it on waffles, or just pour over ice cream, cake or pie even! I topped a dutch baby pancake with the same toppings and OMG. Or just make more pancakes, cause you will want to eat these again and again!
These fluffy ricotta pancakes with rosemary cream and blueberry sauce is a fantastic brunch treat!
Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes with Rosemary Cream and Basic Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs, separated*
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Ricotta (if the ricotta has too much liquid, strain it before measuring)
- 3/4 cup Milk
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Butter/oil (for cooking)
For serving
- 1 tsp Bee Pollen
- Whipped Cream
- Maple Syrup
- Basic Blueberry Sauce (see recipe link below)
- Rosemary Cream (see recipe link below)
Instructions
- Mix your dry ingredients together in medium bowl: 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tbsp sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix your wet ingredients together: 2 egg yolks, 1 cup ricotta, 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whip the 2 separated egg whites to form stiff peaks.*
- Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix till just combined. It may still look a bit lumpy, that is ok.
- Slowly add a few tbsp of egg whites to the batter, fold in carefully. You want to be gentle when mixing so the egg whites don't deflate.
- Add in the remaining egg whites and gently fold in till just combined. Again, don't over mix. A few white streaks of egg white is fine.
- Heat a pan or griddle over medium heat, add a bit of butter or oil to the pan. When the pan is heated, pour about 1/2 cup of batter for each pancake. They will be quite thick, about 1/2 inch (about 1.5 cm).
- Cook on medium low heat till bubble start to pop on the surface, and the edge start to turn brown. Flip, and cook a few minutes more till done. The centre will still be a bit soft and custard like. You will need to adjust the heat so that it doesn't burn the outside of the pancake before the insides cook through.
- Serve immediately with a dollop of custard cream, blueberry sauce and drizzle of maple syrup. Optional, sprinkle some bee pollen and whipped cream on top.
Notes
Rosemary Custard Cream
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 3 egg yolks*
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat the milk and fresh rosemary till just starting to produce steam (don't bring to a full boil). Turn off the heat immediately and set aside.
- While the milk is heating, in a separate bowl, whisk together the 3 egg yolks, 3 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp corn starch and 1 tsp vanilla till well mixed.
- Once the milk is warmed, if you like you can strain the milk, so the rosemary bits get strained out. But I like to leave them in.
- Slowly pour the warmed milk into the egg yolk base, whisking as you pour in a thin stream. Make sure to go slowly so it doesn't scramble the eggs.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat up again on medium. This time keep whisking as it comes to a boil.
- The mixture will thicken up. Let it boil, while you keep stirring, for another few minutes to let the cornstarch flavour cook out.
- Turn off the heat and pour into a heat proof dish (optional – for a smoother cream, strain the cream to get the rosemary bits and any lumps out. Personally I don't mind having the bits of rosemary in my cream). Place plastic wrap on top to prevent a film from forming. Cool to room temperature, then chill until ready to use.
- The prepared rosemary cream will keep for a few days in the fridge.
Notes
Basic Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh blueberries (frozen will work too)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or sugar (skip if making this sugar free)
Instructions
- In a small sauce pan add all the ingredients and let it come to a boil.
- Turn the heat to medium low and let it simmer for about 5 minutes till the blueberries start popping.
- Turn off the heat and let the sauce cool. Serve on all your sweet treats.
- Any leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
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