Orange-Ricotta Pancakes

These sounded tasty to me when I saw them on a labmate’s del.icio.us. I love fruit-infused anything. The original recipe can be found at http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/orange-ricotta-pancakes, but I am reproducing it here for added commentary.  The proportions here serve around three people, depending on appetite.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar (I would increase this next time, maybe 1/2 or even 2/3)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest (I would increase this as well)
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons canola oil (we only had vegetable, but same difference)
• Confectioners’ sugar, or maple syrup

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk ricotta, sugar, eggs, and orange zest. Then whisk in 2/3 cup all-purpose flour until just combined. (The mixture produced is far thicker and goopier than your average pancake batter (Fig. 1) but fear not! It works out ok.)
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Working in batches (and adding more oil to skillet as needed), add batter, using a scant 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. (This part is a bit tricky, as you have to scoop and place the batter rather than pour it.  Also, the timing is a bit delicate, and you need to use a lot more oil than you would for normal pancakes.)
   
3. Transfer pancakes to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Serve hot, dusted with confectioners’ sugar or drizzled with maple syrup. (Fig. 2)
   

Results:

As a commentor on the original site said “Not my idea of a pancake!” Haha. Actually, these pancakes are tasty but slightly weird!  I think it is because the texture is kind of spongy and the outside is a little fried by the oil.  George and I agree that they are not quite sweet enough, and suggest adding more sugar.  Err on the side of more browned rather than less browned when cooking them as well. Overall a great idea, but needs a bit of adjusting.  I will probably try making these again at some point and report any improvements I discover.
P.S. Having produced food by the time I would normally wake up makes me feel super productive even though I haven’t really accomplished anything…