When I was trying to figure out what to do with my leftover ricotta cheese, one thing that Google listed was ricotta pancakes. I hilariously did a poll on Instagram on what to use that leftover ricotta for, with the top voted pick being ravioli. I already made the ravioli, but I somehow still had more leftover ricotta(I wish I could find smaller containers of it, because I usually only need 2oz of ricotta at a time, and then it becomes a whole doomsday timer to use up the remaining 13 or more oz of it, and don’t even get me started on making it from scratch, because I could, but then there’s the whole situation about leftover whey, and then we have an entirely different conundrum). That whole tangent being said, I love making ricotta-based batters. Cakes, fritters, even cookies(yes that’s a dough, but you get the gist of it), all can be made with ricotta cheese. But I don’t know why I never thought to make pancakes out of it! I am aware that ricotta pancakes are a thing – the ricotta adds moisture and a lightness to the final product, since it is a fat-containing dairy product. Since I was making these pancakes with ricotta cheese, I wanted to pair them with something that traditionally pairs beautifully with ricotta, being stone fruit. I had these white nectarines I purchased on an impulse buy, and I coincidentally enough made a very similar recipe to this year ago, being souffle pancakes with white peaches. In this case, I wanted to layer up these large, fluffy ricotta pancakes with some fresh juicy nectarines, whipped chantilly cream, and a homemade elderflower syrup in lieu of a maple syrup.

Compared to the souffle pancakes I did years ago, the ricotta pancake batter comes together really quickly – you don’t need to whip any egg whites, so it is literally a mix, scoop, and cook kind of batter. Like with a larger pancake, you do need to cook these for a bit longer, so medium-low heat is important to get that even browning while also getting the center of the pancakes cooked through. With the various components in this recipe, I would recommend getting the syrup and cream made in advanced, since you want to serve the pancakes fresh off the griddle for an optimal dining experience – as the pancakes get cold, they go firm and a little rubbery, so it is best to serve these while they are still warm and soft. With the syrup, it is a simple syrup made with elderflower liquor, which adds this perfume-y, lychee-like flavor that pairs gorgeously with the nectarines. Also, with serving cut up fruit, brushing them with a little bit of sugar syrup helps keep them from drying out – the elderflower syrup accomplishes that while also adding a pleasant flavor to the entire dish. With the chantilly cream, that adds a lightness to contrast the richness of the ricotta pancake. While yes, you could just substitute the chantilly with whipped sweetened ricotta, ironically I ran out of ricotta making the batter, and while it would be great to grab more ricotta cheese from the store, the ricotta recipe cycle had to end at some point, so I just pulled the plug here and now. All in all, this is a pleasant, summery breakfast dish that celebrates seasonal fruit with fluffy pancakes and an elderflower syrup.

Makes 2 servings:
For the chantilly cream:
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp confectioner’s sugar
a pinch of salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In a bowl, whisk everything together until soft peaks forms. Transfer the cream to a piping bag and store in the refrigerator until time to use.

For the syrup:
For the elderflower syrup:
2 tbsp elderflower liquor
3 tbsp granulated sugar
2/3 cups water
a pinch of salt

In a pot, bring everything to a simmer. Once the sugar is dissolved into the liquid, take the pot off heat and allow the syrup to cool before using.

For the batter:
8oz ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

In a bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, egg, baking powder, salt, and vanilla extract. Fold into that the sifted flour to form your batter. Line a nonstick pan or a griddle with cooking spray and place on medium-low heat. Using a 2oz scoop, scoop the batter onto the pan. Allow the pancakes to cook on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, then flip the pancakes. Cook for the another 2 minutes.

For garnish:
2 white nectarines

Cut the nectarines into wedges and remove the pit. Brush the nectarines with the syrup. Layer up the pancakes with the nectarine wedges and cream, plating up two pancakes per serving.