The Secret To Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

Before I mislead you any further, I’m going to come clean. I don’t know the secret to making lemon-ricotta pancakes. In fact, what I flipped around the griddle on Saturday morning was nothing short of a disaster. Breakfast was saved only by the bacon.

Which leads me to the “secret” I am referring to in the title. Several weeks ago, I was up in San Fran dining with a few friends for brunch. One of my friends was being particularly indecisive. I think he sent the waitress away twice, insisting that he “needed more time.” My stomach grumbled while he wavered between the burger and the pancakes. He finally chose the pancakes, ordering a side of bacon to satisfy his grease craving. He promised the rest of us he would share.

And share we did. No sooner had the waitress dropped our food had we ordered another plate of bacon for the table. I had ordered the pancakes, too, and I have to say, with the addition of a few strips of crispy bacon, I don’t think I’ve ever been more satisfied with a brunch order. I’m always tempted by dishes such as French toast, waffles and pancakes, but I always worry about missing the greasy, savory egg dishes. A side of bacon, I’ve discovered, is the perfect solution. So, I suppose, all I can share with you today is this: perhaps the secret to enjoying pancakes is to eat them with a little grease?

Now about these pancakes. Several years ago while visiting my sister in NYC, I ordered lemon-ricotta pancakes for brunch at Sarabeth’s in the upper west side. I have been dreaming about them ever since and over the years have saved countless recipes from various newspapers and magazines. After comparing the recipes, including a handful from the blogosphere, I chose this one and set to work.

Now, I don’t want to blame the recipe because I think I’m partly at fault. I have never figured out how to make pancakes. By the time I get my rhythm going and start cooking the pancakes properly, I’ve eaten about 100 and can hardly bear to look at the griddle any longer. That’s precisely what happened this weekend. But even the pancakes that I believe I cooked properly lacked the flavor I remember so fondly. The lemon flavor certainly came through but the ricotta was indiscernible, likely a tribute to the icky ricotta I purchased at my grocery store.

So I wish wish wish I could leave you with an awesome recipe for lemon-ricotta pancakes, but alas I cannot. I am determined to make these again soon, however, and when I do, I hope to report back with more favorable results.

On a side note, imagine my excitement upon seeing this month’s Saveur in my mailbox. Look at this cover! Pure genius. There’s a nice little two-page spread offering detailed instructions for cooking eggs four ways: baked, sunny-side up, soft-boiled and scramble. Might be a good thing to tuck inside a cookbook for future reference. Just a thought.

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Comments ( 30 )

Sorry about the pancakes. Let us know if you find the perfect recipe. I love lemon ricotta! I make lemon ricotta cookies and they are my favorite. Maybe I can just call them pancakes and eat them for breakfast:)

Maria added these pithy words on Sep 30 08 at 8:19 am

I totally agree about the bacon! I always eat french toast and pancakes with a side of bacon. Yum! Sorry your pancakes didn’t work out

rg added these pithy words on Sep 30 08 at 8:24 am

I’m sorry they didnt turn out but they look wonderful! I’d love ‘em with a little blueberry syrup and that side of bacon.

katie added these pithy words on Sep 30 08 at 8:47 am

Ahh, too bad about the pancakes :0( But hey, that photograph of them is the epitome of food porn! :0)

VeggieGirl added these pithy words on Sep 30 08 at 9:14 am

I love pancakes!!!! Yum!

The Blonde Duck added these pithy words on Sep 30 08 at 11:30 am

Hmm even if they didn’t taste wonderful, your photos are gorgeous and give Saveur a run for their money!!

Sharon added these pithy words on Sep 30 08 at 2:58 pm

Please solve the recipe hunt and keep us posted. You’ve really got me craving lemon ricotta pancakes now.
I was all set to make your quiche with tortilla crust for dinner, but…my kids had a field trip to a chicken farm. I don’t think I’ll be eating eggs for a few days. What a baby, huh? I’ll be back to old myself and ready for quiche in no time…I hope.

Prudy added these pithy words on Sep 30 08 at 3:43 pm

Ummm, now I’m starving! Thank you for this.

noble pig added these pithy words on Sep 30 08 at 4:27 pm

I have an award for you on my blog.

Lisa added these pithy words on Sep 30 08 at 7:45 pm

Well even though your pancakes didn’t work out, the picture is gorgeous!! Lemon Ricotta sounds so good.

Jenny added these pithy words on Sep 30 08 at 9:37 pm

It sure ’sounded’ promising! I’ve never had them but they sound like something I would order if I saw them on a menu. Breakfast/brunch is my fave time to go out to eat.

I think bacon makes most things taste better!

RecipeGirl added these pithy words on Sep 30 08 at 10:08 pm

everything’s better with bacon, right? maybe you could eat your bacon while you’re making the pancakes and that’d keep you from devouring them as they come off the griddle.

Grace added these pithy words on Oct 01 08 at 6:32 am

Oh, yummy! What a wonderful combination! The ricotta makes the pancakes ever so fluffy……. I love that magazine!

Cheers,

Rosa

Rosa's Yummy Yums added these pithy words on Oct 01 08 at 7:09 am

Hope you ll find the mysterious recipe soon since you made me curious what these yummy pancakes taste like. I always make plain ones and top them with my favourite filling. Not too adventurous eh !!

Snooky doodle added these pithy words on Oct 01 08 at 8:14 am

I love Sarabeth’s. Thanks for reminding me!

Candy added these pithy words on Oct 01 08 at 8:39 am

I also hope you can find the best recipe so you can share it with us! But at least there was bacon!

Clumbsy Cookie added these pithy words on Oct 01 08 at 1:39 pm

Bacon is a must with pancakes! Let me know if you crack the lemon ricoota pancake code. I would love to have a good recipe.

Gigi added these pithy words on Oct 01 08 at 4:19 pm

The pancakes sound wonderful. When you get the recipe down, do post.

And who doesn’t love bacon?! God bless bacon.

Emiline added these pithy words on Oct 02 08 at 12:52 pm

Aaaah, sorry the pancakes didn’t live up to your memory of them.

I wonder if part of the appeal of the bacon is that it’s salty… kind of balances the sweet. Or maybe it IS the grease, lol.

Jacque added these pithy words on Oct 02 08 at 3:50 pm

Wow those pancakes look heavenly!!

Jessy and her dog Winnie added these pithy words on Oct 02 08 at 5:08 pm

wow these look amazing. my suggestion: add more lemon zest, and buy your ricotta from a small italian market if you have one.

I don’t really like bacon with my pancakes, but I always wish I had a nice bite of toast to counter the sweetness. weird, i know

RhodeyGirl/Sabrina added these pithy words on Oct 03 08 at 7:13 am

Lemon ricotta, huh? Sounds amazing!

Tina added these pithy words on Oct 03 08 at 11:08 am

Dang, you got me! I thought you knew it and I was so interested! I’ve seen them made too, but never tried -assuming it would be difficult to get just right. When you find a good one, I hope you let us all in on it!

hot garlic added these pithy words on Oct 04 08 at 4:57 am

I’m sorry the taste wasn’t what you were after because they look just perfect! And you are so right about the bacon.

Foodycat added these pithy words on Oct 04 08 at 9:08 am

There’s an AMAZING recipe for Five Points restaurant’s lemon ricotta pancakes in Marc Meyer’s brunch cookbook. The whole cookbook is pretty great. you have to be gentle with them, and not brown too much. Plus, fresh ricotta (I buy it at the cheese store) definitely makes them better.

maggie added these pithy words on Oct 05 08 at 7:52 am

I also sometimes add a teaspoon of lemon juice.

maggie added these pithy words on Oct 05 08 at 7:53 am

Thanks for the suggestion, Maggie. I’m going to have to find that book!

alexandra's kitchen added these pithy words on Oct 05 08 at 8:21 am

So, I have this half-full container of ricotta from our local co-op sitting in my refrigerator after I used part of it for a vegetarian lasagna dish. What else can I do with this ricotta? I am already starting to imagine it covered with mold before I can find something wonderful to make with it!

eke added these pithy words on Oct 06 08 at 2:56 pm

Eke — I wish I had some good suggestions for you. It sounds as though you have a nice batch of ricotta on your hands. You could drizzle it with honey and eat it for dessert. Or you could make a thin crust pizza and top it with ricotta and some herbs. oh what else? there must be more!

alexandra's kitchen added these pithy words on Oct 07 08 at 11:45 pm