During a parade (because any walk can be a parade depending on mindset!) to a cafe in my neighborhood with my partner, I lamented how the lemon ricotta corn pancake I’d been developing were close, but not quite there.
He looked at me and said, “I can see this becoming a problem. At what point do you stop?”
I had just finished the 11th attempt. Notion was filled with diligent notes on progress, photos of pancake cross-sections to chart rise height when the pancakes were made with melted butter or vegetable oil; how tender the crumb was with whole milk versus buttermilk; how moist the pancakes were hot off the griddle versus how moist they were after they cooled; how much deflation was acceptable (the structure isn’t as strong as a completely AP flour pancake since corn flour does not build enough gluten to hold the height); if they got drier if I didn’t pre-hydrate the corn flour and let it rest; what happens if it’s a 100% all corn flour; and so on.
All this recipe testing meant I was eating lemon ricotta corn pancakes for a little over two weeks. When I’m working on a recipe, I find that I no longer know how to eat meals. Pancakes in the fridge means I grab a pancake when I get peckish and fill in the rest of the day with roasted peanuts and whatever’s in the cupboard. Set, structured meals aren’t for childless, solo-living Spamanthas anyway.
I had found a great combo of ratios with the 9th attempt, but I just kept going to see if I could make the 9th even better by adjusting different aspects of the 9th attempt anyway: ratios, swapping ingredients, adding more zest, and so on. And time after time the 9th attempt lemon ricotta corn pancakes were the winner.
I went on a pancake detox to confirm that lucky number 9 was it. After I could look at a pancake without flipping the fuck out, I made lucky number 9 one last time.
The result? Half corn flour half AP flour pancakes with the taste and sweetness of cornbread (the Jiffy mix of my childhood), but with less grittiness. The AP flour adds structure and allows the batter to rise somewhat on the griddle, but don’t expect anything too tall. They’re moist from a combo of oil and ricotta, and from pre-hydrating the corn flour. Copious amounts of lemon zest and vanilla make this pancake taste more like a dessert than anything else. The ricotta lends its creamy subtle sweetness.
They’re perfect served with my favorite toppings: unsweetened Greek yogurt, a spoonful of jam or blueberry compote, fresh fruit, and a drizzle of honey.
I think the time put into them was worth it and I hope you do too.
For the best corn pancakes, rehydrate the corn flour first
When making arepas or corn tortillas, it’s important to
- Hydrate the masa with warm/hot liquid.
- Let the dough rest to fully rehydrate
For textural and moisture reasons, corn flour needs to be rehydrated in the same way. Dumping the corn flour directly into the ingredients as you would AP flour resulted in denser, drier corn pancakes since the corn flour drinks up the liquids while cooking on the griddle. If you don’t rehydrate the corn flour before mixing into all the ingredients, while the corn pancakes will continue to grow denser and drier as they cool down.
Rehydrating the corn flour before adding it to the rest of the lemon ricotta corn pancake ingredients also gives the pancakes a less grainy texture.
Lemon ricotta corn pancake ingredient substitutions
Lemon zest can be substituted for mandarin, pomelo, orange, lime, and grapefruit zest–really anything that can be zested. However, keep in mind that the rinds of grapefruits and oranges are generally more bitter than the other citrus I’ve listed.
Ricotta can be substituted with Greek yogurt or sour cream in a pinch. However, keep in mind that substituting the ricotta will result in a slightly tangier, not as sweet pancake.
Remember: Corn flour is not the same as cornstarch. Corn flour is milled from whole dried corn kernels. Do NOT use cornstarch. Cornstarch cannot be substituted for corn flour. I don’t know what would happen if you did, but probably nothing delicious.
Looking to drink your sugar or for something sweeter or have toasted milk powder you don’t know how to use? Try my recipe for Cardamom Rose Toasted White Hot Chocolate. ☕️❤️
Lemon Ricotta Corn Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup corn flour (NOT cornstarch) (36g)
- 1/2 cup hot milk (108)
- 2 tbsp sugar (30g)
- 2 eggs, large
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (48g)
- 1/3 cup whole milk ricotta (98g)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- zest of one lemon
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (36g)
Instructions
- Put the corn flour into a small bowl. While whisking, slowly add the hot milk, to ensure no lumps form. Whisk until lump free, then set it aside for 20 minutes while the corn flour rehydrates.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together until the mixture lightens in color and thickens slightly, about 3 or 4 minutes.
- Add the ricotta, oil, vanilla, salt, lemon zest, and baking powder. Beat.
- Once the corn flour is rehydrated and has cooled down (if the corn flour and milk mix isn't cool enough, it'll cook the eggs so make sure it's close to room temp!), add it to the egg mixture and beat until fluffy and thick.
- Add the AP flour and beat again.
- Warm a griddle or frying pan over medium heat and grease it with more butter than you think you need. When the butter foams, right before it starts to turn color, use a tablespoon to pour 2 tablespoon pancakes.
- Pancakes that are mostly or all all-purpose flour often have bubbles that rise on the center of the pancake. These (thanks to the lower gluten content) do not. Over medium heat, flip after about 4 minutes on each side. all stoves are different so be sure to check your pancake periodically and make necessary adjustments.
- Serve fresh off the griddle with butter, maple syrup, blueberry compote, whipped cream, honey, fresh fruit, greek yogurt, sweetened ricotta–any of your favorite toppings.