Ricotta Hotcakes with Vanilla Mascarpone and Caramelised Apples

Take a baked vanilla cheesecake and combine with an American pancake - this should land you somewhere in the region of these hotcakes. Light, soft and fluffy, they are irresistible paired with vanilla specked dollop of Mascarpone, hot, sweet caramelised apples and drizzled with warm honey or maple syrup. Very quick to whip up, they make an exemplary brunch.



Serves 3-4 (around 9 pancakes)

Ingredients

250g Ricotta cheese
125ml milk
2 large eggs (separated)
100g plain flour
1tsp baking powder
1tsp caster sugar
pinch of salt

250g tub Mascarpone
1tsp good quality runny honey
1tsp vanilla essence (with vanilla seeds)

2 eating apples
1 knob of butter (about 40g)
1dsp of honey

Honey or maple syrup to drizzle


(A persimmon, too photogenic to leave out...)

Whisk together the Ricotta, egg yolks and milk until smooth. Sift in the flour baking powder and salt. Whisk the egg whites until in light peaks and fold through. Pancake batter done!

Peel and slice the apple into wedges, around 1-2 cm thick. Melt the butter in a pan, add the honey and lay the apples on top, cook over a gentle heat until golden and yielding, around 3 minutes on each side. Set aside.

Beat the Mascarpone until soft and stir in the vanilla and honey. Taste and add more, if necessary. Set aside.

Heat a non stick frying pan, drop in a small knob of butter. Once foaming, drop in two dessertspoons of batter for each pancake. Cook the pancakes for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden and risen.



Take 2 or 3 pancakes for each plate, top with the apple, dollop of Mascarpone and drizzle with honey or maple syrup.

For those less fond of the sweet stuff, combine with crispy bacon and avocado or smoked salmon, and leave out the sugar from the pancakes.