Raspberry and ricotta hotcakes

Raspberry ricotta hotcakes

Pancakes; who says they are just for Shrove Tuesday? I seem to forget about them shortly afterwards and never think about them till I happen to wander across a random crepe stall in the summertime when they pop up during the festival. Despite my neglect of pancakes for the majority of the year I do so love them, especially all warm and straight out the pan.

I found this recipe in a book that I was given for Christmas. The said book is called the “Cheese Course” by Fiona Beckett. It's a pretty good read if you ever come across it, all sorts of interesting information about washed rinds et cetra et cetra if you are in to all that stuff. 

The recipe section however was a bit confusing to me. Let me explain... it is a book on specialty cheeses, how they are made, how best to store them and how to pare them with specialty wines but the recipe section is mainly how to cook cheese on toast. I'm pretty sure someone that was interested in food enough to buy a book solely devoted to artisan cheese might have surely mastered the humble cheese on toast by this stage? 

Anyways there was one good find in the form of this recipe. A hotcake is essentially a posh pancake. The ricotta adds flavour but could also weigh the mixture down; by adding whipped egg whites it makes them supper light and fluffy. They make a very romantic brunch but I had them just because.

Raspberry and ricotta hotcake - serves a greedy 2

adapted from the "cheese course"

200g raspberries

6tbs caster sugar

110g ricotta

2 eggs, separated

75ml milk

60g plain flour

1/2tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

butter

Put half the raspberries in a pan with 2tbs of the sugar and over medium heat cook for about 4 minutes until the rasps have softened and you have a thin syrup. Once ready put to one side.

In the meantime mix the ricotta, the remaining sugar, ricotta and egg yolks.

Add the milk and stir well.

Sift in the flour, salt and baking powder.

Beat the egg whites with an electric whisk until stiff.

Add one spoonful of the egg whites into the ricotta mixture to loosen it, then fold in the rest gently.

With a frying pan on a low heat wipe a little butter onto a piece of kitchen towel and wipe that over the pan.

Add more butter as required when cooking the hotcakes.

Enjoy with the raspberry syrup and some double cream if you are feeling decadent.

Footnote- I wish the photo could do their yumminess justice but I really struggled to make these hotcakes look sexy. Suggestions welcome.