Peaches + Ricotta Pancakes

Did you know that pancakes was one of the very first things I learned to cook? It's true. Elsie and I both decided one day (I think in early high school or maybe even middle school for me) that we were going to make pancakes. We were TERRIBLE at flipping them at first, of course. Pancakes are harder than you might think.

I remember after we had made a big plate of them we had our mom take a photo of us with our pancakes. They were SO ugly! I wish I still had that photo so I could show you. They sort of looked like ground beef in a way because they were pretty disfigured and sort of burnt.

Luckily my love of pancakes forced me to grow in my flipping skills, so I'm a little better today. :)

These particular pancakes have a creamy texture due to the addition of ricotta cheese. If you've never had ricotta pancakes before, you must give them a try as they're quite different from other pancakes and quite good. You'll see we're also adding peaches, cinnamon, and little bourbon to these as well. I mean, why not?

Peaches Ricotta Pancakes, makes 12-15 medium/large pancakes.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
8 oz. ricotta cheese
2 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon bourbon (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
2 cups whole milk
small can or jar of sliced peaches (or one fresh peach, skin removed and sliced thin)

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a smaller bowl stir together the ricotta cheese, egg yolks, brown sugar, and bourbon (or vanilla extract) until just combined. Now combine the ricotta mixture with the dry ingredients and milk. Stir until just combined. With an electric mixer beat the eggs whites until very frothy and peaks just begin to form. Gently fold the egg whites in with the rest of the mixture.

Now heat a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Melt a little butter, oil or nonstick cooking spray in the pan. Pour 1/3 to 1/2 cup of batter into the heated pan and top with a few sliced peaches. Wait until you see bubbles beginning to form in the batter and you can easily pull up the edges with a spatula. Then, gently work your spatula under the pancake and give it a quick flip over to the other side. Cook until the pancake is cooked through. I usually consider my first pancake a test pancake so I can figure out how many minutes to cook each side so it gets done all the way. Once you get the timing down, cook away until you're out of batter! Remember to add more butter or oil to the pan if you notice the pancakes beginning to stick.

Serve warm with butter and maple syrup. Happy breakfasting! xo. Emma

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.