Milk Jar Cookies: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Milk Jar Cookies is located in Los Angeles, California. It opened in 2013 and has been a go-to spot for cookie lovers ever since. Courtney Cowan is the owner and chief cookie baker behind Milk Jar Cookies. A former gymnast whose career fell short because of back injuries, decided to pursue her dream of owning a bakeshop while watching the Fierce Five win Olympic gold. Now instead of sticking landings, Cowan is creating gourmet cookies that taste great baked from home or from her bakery. 

The Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with blueberry compote is a great cheat for any pancake lover. These pancakes are dense and heavy in weight. The texture and lemon flavor go great with the blueberry compote. This was the first time we had ever made any type of ricotta pancake and we think they came out really well. You can find this recipe in the book Milk Jar Cookies Bakebook by Courtney Cowan.

Recipe

Ingredients

FOR THE COMPOTE

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons water (reduce to 1 tablespoon if using frozen berries)

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

FOR THE PANCAKES

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 extra-large egg

2 extra-large egg whites

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

TO MAKE THE COMPOTE

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring regularly. Reduce to a simmer and stir in the lemon juice and cornstarch until well combined. Continue to simmer and stir until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm. 

TO MAKE THE PANCAKES

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese, egg, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil. Carefully fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until the flour is fully combined. The batter will be thick, so be carful not to overmix. 

3. Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Pour approximately 1/3 cup of batter per pancake and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. When bubbles are forming on the top, your pancakes are ready to flip. Repeat until the batter is gone. 

4. Serve hot, slathered with butter and topped with the warm blueberry compote. Good morning, indeed! 

Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to a month. Reheat in a 350 F oven for 5 to 8 minutes for the best “just-made” experience.