Lemony buckwheat pancakes with honey-vanilla whipped ricotta

Something new I’ve been playing with is freshly ground flour. My grain mill can turn grains and beans into flour in seconds, and products made with freshly-ground flour taste better and behave more like white flour (a bread baker’s dream!).

Now, you do not need to go out and buy yourself a grain mill in order to have great whole grain products. If dense products have ruined whole wheat flour for you in the past, whole wheat pastry flour might be worth a try. In my experience, fine-ground whole wheat pastry flour is more cooperative in baking and results in a lighter end product. Whole wheat pastry flour can commonly be found in bulk bins in grocery stores. Bob’s Red Mill produces a good one as well.

White whole wheat is also a great option. Red wheat is the most commonly grown wheat in the US, and it has a nutty, slightly grassy flavor. White wheat is simply another type of wheat, and its flavor is milder than red wheat. Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur Flour are two reliable brands.

Lemony buckwheat pancakes with honey-vanilla whipped ricotta
Serves 2 people
Adapted from Hodgson Mills
These sweet breakfast pancakes are a great for satisfying a morning sweet tooth. Good ricotta (or better yet – homemade ricotta) is important here. Ricotta has a tendency to be grainy, which isn’t so good on pancakes. Or anything else, really. If the potential for a grainy texture is enough to scare you off, mascarpone cheese would make a creamier substitute. 

1/2 cup buckwheat flour (for gluten-free, use 1 cup buckwheat flour and omit the whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup milk (dairy, non-dairy, or buttermilk will work)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons oil or melted butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup good-quality ricotta
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste

1. Combine buckwheat flour, pastry flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar in a bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine milk, egg, vanilla extract, and oil or butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the lemon zest.
2. Heat a griddle over medium-high heat and oil lightly. Pour pancake batter onto the griddle in 4-5″ rounds and cook for about 2 minutes, until the bubbles on the surface begin to pop and the edges start to brown. Flip and cook for 1-2 minutes on the opposite side.
3. To make whipped ricotta: measure ricotta into a bowl. Whisk rapidly for 2 minutes, then add honey and vanilla extract. Whisk again until smooth.
4. Serve pancakes with a dollop of whipped ricotta, seasonal fruit, a sprinkling of sliced almonds, and a drizzle of honey.