RICOTTA PANCAKES

Beautiful blue Ameraucan eggs.

Ricotta Pancakes: Adapted from Nigella Lawson's Ricotta Hotcakes in How to be a Domestic Goddess

• 9 ounces ricotta cheese (1 cup + 2 tbsp)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 whole eggs (separated)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and extra for sprinkling (my addition- If you're having these with maple syrup then omit this)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (my addition)
• Strawberries (optional)

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, egg yolks, milk, vanilla and powdered sugar (vanilla and sugar are optional).

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the ricotta mix and stir to combine.

Beat the egg whites till it forms peaks and then fold into the ricotta mix.
Heat a non-stick griddle and drop heaped tablespoons (or whatever size you wish) to the pan and cook on each side for approx 1 minute.

Sprinkle the pancakes with powdered sugar and serve with strawberries.



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ENGLISH PANCAKES WITH LEMON & SUGAR

I have lovely memories of eating English pancakes as a child, particularly on Shrove Tuesday, more commonly known as Pancake Day. My mother would be flipping these pancakes on that special Tuesday morning for breakfast before my sister and I went off to school. Pancake Day was always something we looked forward to and Lemon and sugar was always the traditional topping of choice.

For me that special Tuesday defined the beginning of spring time: the smell of sweet lemon in the air, the sun shining brightly into the kitchen, and snowdrops propping up like lamp posts in the garden.

I remember making English pancakes for my American husband for the first time. He of course grew up eating fluffy American pancakes with blueberries and had never experienced Pancake Day. I'm happy to say now that his pancake of choice is the English and like me, he looks forward to that special Tuesday in the early spring.

English pancakes are thicker than the French crepes and the lack of sugar in the batter makes them very versatile and can be used as a sweet or savory pancake. The traditional way to serve these is with sprinkled sugar and lots of freshly squeezed lemon, I have always preferred it this way, however any kind syrup, fruit compote, chocolate, cream, or anything that takes your fancy would be lovely.

English Pancakes with Lemon & Sugar 
(makes approx 8)

• 1 egg,
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/4 cups of milk
• 1/8th teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• White sugar
• Lemons

Sift the flour in a bowl with the salt.

Make a well in the middle and add the eggs and half the milk, whisking.

Then add the rest of the milk and melted butter, whisk well.

Heat an 8-inch frying pan until hot and then reduce to medium.

Add a very small knob of butter to the pan, spread it around and let it sizzle.

Pour approx 2 tablespoons of batter into the frying pan, tilting the pan swirling the batter to cover the round area of the pan.

Cook the pancake for approx 30 seconds per side.

On a plate sprinkle plenty of white sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice on each pancake and roll it up.

Squeeze extra lemon over the pancakes before eating.

Take in the smell of the beginning of Spring :)

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Brioche Buttons

Balthazar restaurant in New York have a bakery that sell these little brioches and I always thought they were really adorable, so I decided to make my own version of the little buttons.
I baked them using a mini muffin pan, so they turned out to be approximately 2 1/2 inches tall.

I made chocolate brioche buttons with half of the recipe and the other half I kept plain, I love them both.

If you want them fresh for breakfast, wrap the dough in plastic wrap the night before (after rising) and bake them in the morning. Make sure that you take the dough out at least 30-40 minutes before baking so that it is at room temperature.
Brioche Buttons
(Makes approx 36)

• 9 fluid ounces lukewarm milk
• 1 packet dry active yeast (7g)
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 3/4 cup cooled melted butter (plus more for brushing on top)
• Zest of 1/2 lemon
• Semi sweet chocolate chips (for the chocolate brioche)
• Mini muffin pan

Sift the flour into a large bowl. Make a hollow hole in the center of the flour and pour in the lukewarm milk (I just warmed the milk in the microwave for 1 minute).

Then add the yeast to the milk with 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Let this sit for 5 minutes until it's bubbly.

Then mix the milky yeast and the flour together.

Then add the beaten eggs, lemon zest, salt, cooled melted butter and sugar.

Mix the dough together very well and then begin to knead (you can do this with your hands or with a mixer).

If the dough is too sticky then add a some extra sifted flour.

Once kneaded well, cover the bowl in plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm room for 1 hour.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough down and begin to knead again with your hands for 2 minutes.

Place the dough on a floured surface to rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Start to roll the dough into little balls to fit inside the mini muffin holes.

For the chocolate ones place a couple of chocolate chips in each dough ball and pinch tight to close them inside.

Brush each of the buttons with melted butter before baking.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes per batch at 400F.

Take them out of the oven when they are beginning to turn golden.

As soon as you take them out brush them again with melted butter.

They can be eaten straight out of the oven or after they have cooled down.

Cute little things!

Perfect petite brioche buttons for breakfast :)