Brunch is my favorite meal. Hands down. I love waking up on Sunday morning and preparing a large breakfast. It may or may not lead to a food coma, but that’s alright.. Sundays are meant to be lazy, right?? This recipe is a bit more involved than your average pancake, but it’s worth it. The end result is a light, airy pancake that’s filled with bright lemon flavors and fluffy chunks of ricotta cheese. Serve with lemon curd and jam. Don’t forget the beer, though! Serve the remaining hefeweizen with a splash of orange juice and fresh orange slices for a better mimosa.

Ingredients

1. 5 ½ tbs. unsalted butter
2. ⅔ cup whole milk (no skimping)
3. ⅓ cup hefeweizen or witbier
4. 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
5. 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
6. 1 tsp. salt
7. 3 large eggs, whites & yolks separated
8. 2 tbs. white sugar
9. 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
10. 1 tbs. fresh lemon zest and/or orange zest
11. 1 tsp. vanilla extract
12. ¾ cup whole-milk or homemade ricotta

Steps

1. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and line with paper towels. Scoop in the ricotta and allow to drain for a minimum of a half hour to lower the moisture content.
   
2. In a small saucepan over low heat, add the milk, beer, and butter. Stir occasionally until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and half of the salt in a medium bowl; set aside. 
   
4. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, 1 tbs. sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla. Once combined, slowly whisk in ¼ of the butter mixture, tempering the eggs. Continue to whisk and slowly incorporate the remaining butter mixture, being careful not to curdle the eggs, until smooth.
5. Add the flour mixture to the liquid using a rubber spatula and stir until just combined, taking care not to overmix.
6. In a clean bowl, using a clean spatula, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. About halfway through the process, sprinkle in 1 tbs. sugar and ½ tsp. salt. The end result should resemble soft-serve ice cream.
7. Gently fold in half of the egg white mixture, followed by the second half, into the batter.
   
8. Sprinkle the ricotta over the batter and carefully fold in, keeping the volume of the egg whites and the small chunks of cheese.
9. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat until hot. Melt a small pat of butter on the surface, then scoop out pancakes by a ¼ cup. 
   
10. Cook until bubbles form on the top of the pancake, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown, about 2 minutes more. 
    
11. Place cooked pancakes in a oven set on ‘warm’ until breakfast (or brunch) time. Serve with lemon curd, raspberry framboise jam, and/or powdered sugar.