Strawberry Hot Cakes
By
Kat Williams
@kwil458
1
I have never been a fan of lemons at all until I tasted a Meyer Lemon. Now I am a fanatic! These pancakes with creamy Ricotta cheese come out with a texture that is both thick and light at the same time. And the orange juice in the strawberries brings out that amazing Meyer Lemon tang from the pancakes. AND not only is this the perfect breakfast meal, but it makes a great dessert, too. Its always a good day when I get to eat this.
Ingredients
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STRAWBERRIES
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1 qtstrawberries, chopped
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1/2 csugar
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2 mediumoranges, juiced (about 1/2 cup)
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PANCAKES:
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1 call purpose flour
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1/3 csugar
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1/2 tspsalt
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1 tspbaking powder
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2eggs, separated
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1/2 cricotta cheese, low-fat
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1/3 cmilk
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1meyer lemon, zested and juiced
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·olive oil
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·butter
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·whipped topping
How to Make Strawberry Hot Cakes
- Strawberries: Sprinkle sugar over strawberries and mix lightly. Pour orange juice over mixture and let it sit at room temperature about 30 minutes. Take out about 1/2 the mixture and puree it. Add pureed mixture back with the strawberries and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Pancakes: Mix dry ingredients together in medium sized bowl. In a separate bowl whisk together egg yolks, ricotta cheese, milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy.
Make a well in bowl with dry ingredients; pour liquids into well and stir gently just until dry ingredients are combined.
In another bowl, beat the egg whites with a dash of salt until soft peaks form. Right before cooking, very gently fold and blend whites into the rest of the batter, being careful not to over-blend (batter will get thinner.) - Preheat electric grill to 375 F or stove-top grill to medium/medium-high heat (depending on your stove) - until drops of water dance across grill. Getting grill to the right temperature is the hardest part. If the grill is too low the pancakes will absorb the oil and be tough. If the grill is too hot, the outsides get burnt and the inside is either not done, or too dry. Once the grill is hot enough, coat it very lightly with olive oil and then a small pat of butter, spreading with a spatula to coat the entire surface.
Test Grill Temperature: Start by pouring just a tablespoon of batter onto grill to make sure grill is at the right temperature. In about 1-1/4 minutes, you should see several bubbles rising to the top of the batter and popping. Flip the pancakes and cook another 1 minute until the other side is lightly browned. Remove to platter and slice in half to check doneness. Insides should be light, fluffy, and slightly moist all the way through and outsides should be lightly browned. Adjust grill temperature up or down as needed and repeat test until grill temperature yields a perfect cake. You won't want this batter to go to waste!
Once the grill is set, pour about 1/4 cup batter onto grill for each cake and cook as directed above. Try different shapes and sizes if you like. I made the ones in the photos on Valentines Day so of course I had to make hearts. Cover cooked cakes with foil to keep warm until serving. - To serve, spoon chilled strawberries over pancakes and top with whipped topping.
