Valentine's Day Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes.......

Its not as hard as it sounds...

photo courtesy of: Tricia's Kitchen

Villa-O is an Uptown Dallas favorite of ours for Brunch.  Although I have never been to the Hamptons, the inside is what I imagine it would be like if I was on a Yacht headed to the Hamptons....lots of nautical things hanging around, you know what I'm saying. 

What was my point....oh yeah, I love the amazing Ricotta Blueberry Pancakes on the brunch menu. They are delicious, filling, heaven in your mouth when those hot blueberries explode their sweet juiciness mixed with that salty batter. Yum. The key here, is to whip your egg whites seperately into stiff peaks.  A pain in the rear, but worth the extra work.  This version is incredibly moist and a little on the thinner side.   

Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes:  Recipe by Neal Fraser of Food and Wine

Ingredients

 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 large eggs, separated

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk

6 ounces ricotta cheese (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Unsalted butter, for the griddle

1 pint fresh blueberries or 2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed

Pure maple syrup, for serving

Directions

1.In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the milk, ricotta, sugar and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth.

2.In aseperate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites at medium speed until frothy. Beat at high speed until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter until no streaks remain.

3. Heat a griddle, then lightly butter it. For each pancake, ladle a scant 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle; be sure to leave enough space between the pancakes. Cook over moderately low heat until the bottoms are golden and the pancakes are just beginning to set, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle each pancake with a few blueberries and press lightly. Flip the pancakes and cook until golden on the bottom and cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Transfer the pancakes to plates and keep them warm in the oven while you make the rest. Serve the pancakes with maple syrup.

Enjoy!!