This week for Tyler Florence Fridays I tried Tyler's Ricotta Pancakes with Roasted Golden Delicious Apples and Roasted Prosciutto. I left out the prosciutto, of course ;)
Ricotta Pancakes with Roasted Apples
4 Golden Delicious apples
1/2 stick butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
For the pancakes
2 cups ricotta
4 large eggs, separated
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
Butter, for cooking
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting, optional
1 cup maple syrup, warmed on stove-top
For the topping:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut each apple into thirds, remove the cheeks and discard the core. Slice each piece into 4 and toss with butter and maple syrup in a large bowl. Transfer to a roasting pan and place in the oven. Roast the apples until they are fork-tender and slightly caramelized on the top, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on ripeness of the fruit.
here are the apples before roasting
Combine the ricotta, egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Sift the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into the ricotta mixture and stir until fully combined. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and then gently fold into the batter.
Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and add a little butter (I did the pancakes on a griddle). Cook 2 to 3 pancakes at a time using a 6-ounce ladle or measuring cup to pour the batter into the pan. The trick to perfect round pancakes to carefully pour all the batter in the same spot and let it roll out to a complete circle. Cook the pancakes on 1 side until they set.
When small bubbles appear on the uncooked surface, flip the pancakes and cook until golden on both sides, about 6 minutes. Keep the pancakes on a plate set at the back of the stove under a dry towel to keep warm while you make the rest. To serve, lay the pancakes on a plate and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve with roasted apples and warm maple syrup.
We are big pancake fans in this family! I love to try new recipes for pancakes, but my kids and husband have a favorite recipe I make and are not quite as enthuastic as I am about trying new recipes. These pancakes were okay, I liked them, not a favorite, but my husband and the kids weren't impressed. I'd say these are more souffle-ish grown-up style pancakes that my family just wasn't expecting. Oh-well. The apples were nice but didn't get browned or caramelized a little like I'd expected even though I baked them the entire time. All in all it was a nice dish that was a touch more work than the average pancake breakfast.
