Fluffy ricotta pancakes with blueberry sauce

Ready in 30 minutes

Serves 6-8 (makes about 16 pancakes)

PANCAKES

500g ricotta or pureed cottage cheese 1cupflour

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp sugar

1½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs, separated

A little butter, to cook

TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)

Blueberry sauce (see below) or lemon curd Yoghurt or whipped cream

Fresh or bottled passionfruit pulp

To make the pancakes, combine all ingredients except egg whites and butter in a bowl and beat to combine in a smooth batter. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks then fold gently into ricotta batter. Heat a little butter in a frying pan. Use ¼ cup of batter for each pancake and cook over a medium heat until bubbles form on the surface. Turn and cook on the other side until the pancakes are cooked through (about 1½ minutes each side). Keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining mixture, adding more butter to the pan between batches. Serve topped with lemon curd or blueberry sauce and accompany with yoghurt or whipped cream if desired and a drizzle of passionfruit pulp.

BLUEBERRY SAUCE

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries ¼cupsugar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp cornflour

2 Tbsp water

1 tsp vanilla extract

Place blueberries in a small pot with sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer 2-3 minutes. Mix cornflour with water in a small bowl or glass and stir into the sauce with 1 tsp vanilla extract. Simmer another minute or two, stirring over the heat until sauce is lightly thickened. Blueberry sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week or can be frozen. Makes about 1½ cups.

NOTE: This recipe is a tribute to the late Bill Granger whose famous hotcakes got us using ricotta in our batter mixtures. If you don’t have ricotta you can puree cottage cheese with a hand wand blender. Serve these with lemon curd and yoghurt and a squeeze of passionfruit pulp or make a simple berry sauce. They’re also very good with sliced bananas, crispy bacon and maple syrup.

Match this with ...

Matahiwi Estate ‘M’ Wairarapa Methode NV ($49)

Straight out the gate, this wine has an “M” in the title so it’s perfect for Mum. Secondly, the pinot noir and chardonnay grapes used to produce this elegantly structured sparkler are shepherde d from bud-burst to harvest by vineyard manager Karina Southey. She’s obsessed with ensuring those grapes grow up healthy and strong, with a balanced worldview and the ability to speak at least two languages. Picked by a special team in March 2020, the weekend before lockdown, the resulting wine sings with layers of fresh apple and preserved lemon on the nose and palate, hints of almond and dried-herb complexity, a zesty citrus pop, and a biscuity note to finish. It roars with ricotta pancakes. matahiwi.co.nz