Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes With Macerated Strawberry Coulis Food

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES WITH FIGS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta, buttermilk, eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. While stirring with a rubber spatula, add the flour mixture to the ricotta mixture and mix just until combined. Set aside for 5 minutes.
• Heat a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat. Pour in a tablespoon or two of the clarified butter and heat until the butter sizzles. Stir the batter with a rubber spatula. Using a standard (2 1/4-inch) ice cream scoop, drop level scoopfuls of batter into the pan and allow them to cook for a few minutes, until bubbles appear all over the top. While the pancakes cook, distribute the figs on the pancakes, then turn to cook on the other side, until they spring back when lightly touched. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding clarified butter to the pan as needed. Transfer to plates, sprinkle with lemon zest, dot with butter, and drizzle with maple syrup. Serve hot.

FLUFFY LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES WITH BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• For the blueberry sauce: Place the blueberries in a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup water, then stir in the honey. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a low boil and the blueberries just start to break apart. Dissolve the cornstarch in 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl, then add the slurry to the saucepan and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Turn the heat down and simmer on low heat until the sauce is nicely thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Set aside until ready to serve. (See Cook's Note.)
• For the pancakes: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
• Whisk together the ricotta, milk, vanilla, eggs and lemon zest and juice in a separate medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.
• Preheat the oven to 175 degrees F.
• Heat about a tablespoon each vegetable oil and butter in a large nonstick skillet (I prefer cast-iron) over medium heat. When the butter is foamy, reduce the heat to medium-low and ladle a heaping 1/4 cup pancake batter into the skillet. Repeat to make 2 more pancakes. Cook until bubbles start to form in the batter and the pancakes are golden underneath, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other sides until golden, another 3 minutes. Place the finished pancakes on a sheet tray and hold the oven while you finish cooking the remaining batter, adding more oil and butter as necessary. Serve warm with the blueberry sauce.

MEYER LEMON RICOTTA CREPES WITH CANDIED ALMONDS

Steps:

• For the candied almonds: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds, sugar and a splash of water and stir to combine. Cook until the sugar has melted and the nuts begin to caramelize, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Spread the nuts out on the parchment and cool on a baking rack until the sugar hardens, about 15 minutes.
• For the ricotta: Stir together the ricotta, zest, sugar and cream in a bowl until light and fluffy.
• For the crepes: Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the milk, zest, butter and salt and whisk until combined. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Heat a 6- to-8-inch nonstick pan over medium heat; spray with nonstick cooking spray or brush with clarified butter. Ladle in a scant 1/4 cup of the crepe batter; swirl the pan and cook until the bottom sets and turns light golden brown, 30 to 45 seconds. Flip and continue cooking until the bottom is light golden brown, another 20 seconds or so. Transfer to a plate. Repeat and stack, keeping the cooked crepes warm in the oven.
• Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta on each crepe, roll up the crepes and serve with a sprinkling of candied almonds.

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES WITH LEMON CURD AND FRESH RASPBERRIES

Steps:

• Preheat a nonstick griddle.
• Combine flour, baking powder, nutmeg, salt, and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk together the cheese, eggs, milk, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl. Whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined. Brush the hot griddle with butter. For each pancake, pour approximately 1/4 cup measure of the batter on the griddle and cook on both sides until light golden brown. Repeat until no batter remains.
• Empty the contents of the lemon curd into a small saucepan and warm over low heat. Alternatively, remove the lid and place in a microwave oven on 50 percent power for 2 minutes, stopping after 1 minute to stir the curd. Drizzle a few tablespoons of the curd over the pancakes, top with fresh raspberries, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.