These are breakfast pancakes summer-style, ridiculously light, and lemony somehow even without the addition (for a change in this book) of lemon. If you imagine the flavour of cheesecake combined with a texture that’s best, if wordily, described as a kind of souffléed griddle cake, you’re somewhere near getting the measure of these. My tip, however, is to cut to the chase and make them yourself. Serve, outside if weather and property ownership permits, with some chopped ripe strawberries, partially crushed with a fork, tumbling on top. There is a vocal syrup-dousing contingent in my house, but in my view it mars their fabulous delicacy and, besides, the accompanying fruit allows you to delude yourself that these are healthy.
250g ricotta cheese
125ml semi-skimmed milk
2 large eggs, separated
100g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
2 teaspoons groundnut oil
to serve:
250g strawberries, chopped (or other berries of your choice, of course)
Put the ricotta, milk and egg yolks into a bowl and mix well to combine. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt and gently whisk to make a smooth batter.
Beat the egg whites until they become foamy – this isn’t hard work even, whisking by hand, which is all that’s needed here – and then fold them into the ricotta mixture.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan and drop in heaped dessertspoons of batter. Cook the pancakes for about 1 minute until golden and then flip them over and cook for another minute. Keep the cooked pancakes warm, by tenting with foil on a large warmed plate, while you work your way through the batter, and then serve with syrup – if you must – and strawberries.
Makes about 25.