Best Pancakes EVER

I found this recipe in Food & Wine Magazine and these are seriously the best pancakes I have ever had (in case you didn't get that from the title of this post). I LOVE fresh blueberries - sweet, ripe, and juicy. YUM! It's a perfect beginning of summer recipe and these aren't as "heavy" as regular pancakes because of the ricotta cheese. Now, don't be thrown by the ricotta cheese - you can't taste it at all, but it makes the pancakes nice and light.

Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberries

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used half whole wheat and half regular)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 large eggs, separated

1 3/4 cups, plus 2 tablespoons milk (I used skim milk)

6 ounces ricotta cheese (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) - I used light ricotta and they still turned out to be amazing

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Unsalted butter, for the griddle

1 pint fresh blueberries or 2 cups frozen blueberries, thawed

Pure maple syrup, for serving

1) In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the milk, ricotta, sugar, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth.

2) In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites at medium speed until frothy. Beat at high speed until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter until no streaks remain.

3) Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Heat a griddle, then lightly butter it. For each pancake, ladle a scant 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle; be sure to leave enough space between the pancakes. Cook over moderately low heat until the bottoms are golden and the pancakes are just beginning to set, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle each pancake with a few blueberries and press lightly.

Flip the pancakes and cook until golden on the bottom and cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Transfer the pancakes to plates and keep them warm in the oven while you make the rest. Serve the pancakes with maple syrup.

I sprinkled powdered sugar on top of our pancakes instead of syrup. I really don't like syrup, but I think it would also take a lot away from the taste. You MUST try these!