Lemon & ricotta pancakes with blueberry maple syrup

Whip up these light and fluffy pancakes flavoured with lemon. They're gorgeous drizzled with blueberry syrup, and are a delicious brunch centrepiece

Ingredients

• 300 g ricotta
• 4 eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 175 ml whole milk
• 125 g plain flour
• 2.75 tsp baking powder
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 tsp sunflower oil
• 150 g blueberries
• 120 ml maple syrup

Steps

1. Combine the ricotta, egg yolks and milk in a bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Add the flour, baking powder, lemon zest and juice and a large pinch of salt to the ricotta mixture, then stir in a small spoonful of the egg whites. Fold in the remaining egg whites in batches using a large metal spoon until there are no big lumps (there should be a few smaller lumps of egg whites visible).
2. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a couple of heaped tablespoons of the batter, carefully spreading it into a circle using the back of the spoon. Cook for 2-3 mins on each side until golden, transferring them to a plate and covering with a tea towel to keep warm as you go.
3. To make the blueberry maple syrup, tip the blueberries and maple syrup into a small pan and warm gently over a low heat until the blueberries have completely burst, around 8-10 mins. Serve the pancakes in small stacks drizzled with the blueberry syrup.