The Breslins Ricotta Pancakes with Orange Sauce for Slow Sundays

We have Meatless Mondays, and Wordless Wednesdays so today is the second instalment in a new feature around here on MTBT...Slow Sundays...well because a Sunday should be slow, no rushing around, no big errands, just taking our time and mozying along. My idea of enjoying a Sunday morning is to have a warm cup of tea and a long and lovingly prepared breakfast. This mornings breakfast consisted of these navel orange-sized pancakes from The Breslin. 



Those of you who follow this blog know that I am a morning person and have already risen before the sunrise but today is truly a slow day. I have nowhere pressing to be, I can visit some friends, go for a walk, and have a relaxing day in the kitchen. That is the beauty of a slow Sunday we can do whatever we like! Sunday is my only day to myself and as the day unfolds before us we can do whatever our heart desires. I hope your day is all that you hope it will be.


While these pancakes are delicious on their own, they're exquisite with the soft ricotta topping, crunchy sliced almonds and ingeniously vibrant (and neon-bright) orange marmalade-like syrup. What a way for us to wake up this morning sleepy heads!!! I served them with slices or sweet juicy navel oranges.

**The Breslin's Ricotta Pancakes with Orange Syrup**
 by April Bloomfield from Food and Wine


Orange Syrup

• 1 orange
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water

Ricotta Topping

• 1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
•  3/4 teaspoon finely grated orange of lemon zest
•  Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean

Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup fine white cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup fresh ricotta
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Toasted almond slices, for serving

1. Peel the zest from the orange in long strips and julienne. In a saucepan of boiling water, blanch the zest for 30 seconds. Drain and repeat. In the saucepan, simmer the orange juice, sugar, water and blanched zest until syrupy, about 10 minutes. Let cool.


2. For the ricotta topping, in a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients.


3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda. In another large bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg yolks and ricotta. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. In a large, clean stainless steel bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold them into the batter.


4. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat a thin film of vegetable oil. Drop in 1/4-cup dollops of batter and cook over moderately high heat, 2 minutes per side, until golden and fluffy. Serve about 3 pancakes per person. Pass the orange syrup, ricotta topping and toasted almonds at the table.


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