Lemon Cottage Cheese Pancakes

I hate cottage cheese, but I LOVE these pancakes.

A few weeks back, I was reminiscing about the fluffiest stack of pancakes my mom used to make when I was a kid. I recalled lemony flavor and some type of cheese in the mix. So I started tinkering with lemon ricotta cheese pancakes. But recipe after recipe turned out dense and flat in flavor.

I gave my mom a call and shared my pancake woes, and she set me straight. Her recipe relied on cottage cheese, not ricotta. And the complexity in flavor came from a combination of lemon zest and cinnamon. Plus the added boost of whipped egg whites keeps the pancakes light and fluffy.

The best news yet - these pancakes are packed with protein and low in carb, so I can feel great about eating these for breakfast! So long as I don't drown them in butter and syrup.

However, if you wanted to dress up this pancake stack for a indulgent brunch, I'd serve these pancakes alongside ramekins of lemon curd, raspberry preserves, and whipped cream.

Lemon Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Ingredients

· 4 eggs, separated

· 1 ½ cup low fat cottage cheese

· ½ cup flour

· 1 tsp baking powder

· ¼ tsp salt

· 1 tbsp sugar

· ¼ tsp cinnamon

· ½ tsp lemon zest

· ½ tsp vanilla

· Butter, non-stick spray

In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the egg yolks and cottage cheese. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, zest, and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined. Using a spatula, gently fold in half of the egg whites. Take care not to deflate all egg whites – streaks of white in the batter is okay. Fold in the remaining egg whites.

Heat a non-stick skillet or griddle over medium low heat. Do not use stainless steel or cast iron – the pancakes will stick horribly. Grease lightly with non-stick spray and a pat of butter.

Using a 1/3 cup measure, spoon the pancake batter into the pan. Cook 3-4 pancakes at a time depending on the size of your pan. Cook each pancake on the first side for roughly 3 minutes until starting to brown around the edges. Using a flexible, yet sturdy spatula, flip the pancakes and cook for another 2-3 minutes. It’s important to make swift decisive motions when flipping the pancakes otherwise the pancakes will stick and tear. Repeat with the remaining batter. Grease the pan between each batch.

Makes 12-14 pancakes

Notes

But seriously, these are some sticky pancakes. Heed my advice on the non-stick pan lest you end up with pancakes that look like butts.

Resist the urge to over do it on the cinnamon, lemon zest or vanilla. It's the delicate balance among all these flavors that make this pancake intriguing.

Gluten Free Friendly!

Substitute the flour for Cup4Cup flour blend.