Souffléed Ricotta Pancakes
- MakesMakes about 10 pancakes, serving 4 or 5
- Cook Time40 minutes
These are not ordinary pancakes. Ricotta cheese yields rich, custardy interiors, while whipped eggs whites, assisted by baking powder, lightens them. A little semolina flour adds to the pancakes’ unique texture. We prefer to use 3½-inch round silicone or metal pancake molds so the batter forms tall, neat circles, but you can skip them if you like. Freeform pancakes will have a more organic shape and will not be as thick, but they still will rise higher than standard pancakes. A 12-inch well-seasoned cast-iron skillet excels at even browning and easy release, but a nonstick pan works, too. If using nonstick, don’t preheat the empty pan. Rather, after the batter is finished, begin heating it with 1 tablespoon butter; when the foaminess of the butter subsides, it’s good to go. Serve with softened butter for slathering onto the pancakes and warm maple syrup.
Don’t overcrowd the skillet. Four molds fit into a 12-inch pan, but it is easier to manage and flip the pancakes if there are only three in a batch. Also, don’t lift off the pancake molds until small bubbles burst on the surface, indicating the bottoms are set. This is key because if the bottoms are have not firmed up, flipping neatly with a spatula is impossible.
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