In the kitchen with Elisa
Ricotta Pancakes
Delicious creamy cheesecake pancakes
Creamy little cheececake bites..Mmmm..
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This recipe was a little challenge that I set for myself. I find that with some traditional Russian or German recipes I am facing the difficulty of making the recipe accessible to everyone. Why? Because there are some ingredients that those recipes use that are not available all over the world. Whenever I get asked what to substitute this or that for and I don´t know, I feel very bad.. As I really want the recipes I make to be available to everyone wishing to re-make them. So this was one of those cases. I was showing photos of my cheesecake pancakes made with quark over on my Instagram stories and I had so many questions about the pancakes. The problem I noticed there was that not all of those asking had quark available in the stores. I decided I need to find a solution, as these are such yummy things and I wanted everyone to have a chance to try them out.
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So​mewhere hidden deep in my brain I had this information that ricotta is sometimes used as a low fat cream cheese for some recipes. I decided to give it a go and try how it will work. The consistency is quit similar to quark and so I was pretty confident it will work. I tweeked my old recipe a little and started making the pancakes. The result was amazing, really, amazing! :) Even though they don't taste exactly like the ones made with quark, because quark has a sour taste to it which ricotta doesn't have, but my oh my were they creamy and delicious! I know the version with quark is healthier and a low fat option, but if you would ask me which ones I prefer, then I would have to admit that these ones with ricotta :) I have a feeling that the ricotta ones were much thicker and creamier. YUM!
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I like to serve something fresh with my pancakes and that is why I added that greek yogurt on top, but you could also use sour cream or creme fraiche or even serve with a little whipping cream for a naughty treat :) Also like fruit with my pancakes, whether that is fresh fruit, a fruit jam or a compote. For this recipe I am sharing a quick jam recipe that you can prepare while frying the pancakes. I made mine with plums, I had about 200g of plums that were too sour to eat and needed to be used up. I added about 100g of sugar to them and then ended adding another 50g as they were still too sour. When deciding how much sugar you want to add to the jam think about the fruit you are using, is it really sour or is it on a sweeter side. Also you can always add more, so start low and then add more if necessary.​
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These are the pancakes I make the most and I hope they will also become your favourite :)
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Happy Baking Lovelies!
Step by Step Video
RECIPE
Ricotta Pancakes
Delicious creamy cheesecake pancakes
​INGREDIENTS
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500g ricotta
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30-50g sugar
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1tsp vanilla paste/extract
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1 egg
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30g flour + extra for forming the pancakes
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30g cornstarch
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vegetable oil/coconut oil for frying
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100-200g fruit of choice
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50-100g sugar
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DIRECTIONS
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In a medium large mixing bowl mix ricotta, sugar, vanilla extract and egg with a fork shortly.
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Sift in the flour and the cornstarch and continue mixing until well combined.
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Heat a medium sized frying pan on medium-low heat. Once warm add some vegetable oil to cover the pan lightly.
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Make a small mountain of flour on a plate. Take a tablespoon-full of the pancake batter and put it onto the floured plate. Sprinkle the batter with flour from all sides and then form into a pancake with your hands. (See video)
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Fry the pancakes on medium-low heat until golden (about 2-3 minutes). Then flip around and fry shortly from the other side.
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Be careful not to fry the pancakes too long so they do not turn too dark. If you notice that they are turning dark faster than they are cooking through, turn down the heat.
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Add extra oil when needed. You want the bottom of the pan to be lightly covered with oil when frying.
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To make the fruit topping for the pancakes (optional) add the fruit to a small pot with the sugar. If you are using a fruit that is sweet on its own you need less sugar than if using a sour fruit. You should taste during the cooking process to make sure it is sweet enough. You want to bring the fruit with the sugar to boil and then allow it to simmer until it reduces to a thicker jam-like consistency. (See video) Then remove from heat and leave aside for serving. You can use the fruit topping both warm or cold. Any leftover should be cooled to room temperature an then stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
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Serve the pancakes with some soured cream or greek yogurt and your homemade fruit topping.
TIP. If you have some leftover pancakes you can store them in the fridge for the next day. I would suggest to warm them in the microwave for about 30 seconds before serving.
