bill’s Ricotta Hotcakes

When it comes to breakfast (or brekkie, in Aussie slang), I am a creature of habit.

Confession: I have been eating the same brekkie for the last decade (at least!). Two cups of coffee (one regular, one decaf) and two slices of some sort of whole wheat/grainy toast. When I am feeling adventurous, I buy/make special breads or use uncommon spreads (e.g. mango and passionfruit jam).

When we do have a special breakfast, it’s Quikong who does the work. For example, he’ll make a special omelette and drive out to get my favourite bread from an artisan baker who only uses organic ingredients.

For a change, I thought that I should make something special for him for breakfast. I got this ricotta hotcakes recipe from Bill Granger’s book, Sydney Food, which is also the first gift that Quikong ever gave me. Bill has a few cafes/restaurants in Sydney and some of the items on the menu can be found in his books. (p/s: Just so you know that the hotcakes would cost $16.60 if you ordered it at bill’s café)

Ricotta Hotcakes

1 1/3 cups ricotta
3/4 cups milk
4 eggs, separated
1 cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of salt
50 g butter

1
Place ricotta, milk and egg yolks in a mixing bowl and mix to combine.

2
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add to the ricotta mixture and mix until just combined.

3
Place egg whites in a clean dry bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites through batter in two batches, with a large metal spoon.

4
Lightly grease a large non-stick frying pan with a small portion of the butter and drop 2 slightly heaped tablespoons of batter per hotcake into the pan (don’t cook more than 3 per batch). Cook over a low to medium heat for 2 minutes, or until hotcakes have golden undersides. Turn hotcakes and cook on the other side until golden and cooked through.

5
Transfer to a plate and quickly assemble with other ingredients e.g. honeycomb butter, fruits. Dust with icing sugar.

Kitchen Notes:
- I only made half the recipe and it yielded 7 hotcakes.
- I used skim milk and reduced fat ricotta and I enjoyed it better than the original version at the café which I found a little too rich for me.
- Quikong said that it is much better with honey rather than maple syrup. I concur.
- It’s really good with banana but I didn’t have any so I served it with stewed apple and berries.
- Try this with some cinnamon or vanilla added in the batter.
- You can make the batter 24 hours in advance & store it in the fridge (e.g. make it the night before)

This looks like an ordinary pancake, but it definitely is extra special. So light & fluffy, yet creamy…..You have to try it and discover it for yourself. … yuummmmm….