This Calls for Some Fancy Pancakes

Way back in late December, the menu plan called for Orange Ricotta Chocolate Chip Pancakes. I was very excited to make them, and even bought all the ingredients to make it happen. Well, life happened, and for some reason, the pancakes did not get made. I don't know if plans changed or just didn't feel like going to the trouble of making "from scratch" pancakes, but it didn't happen. Fast forward to the past weekend where it was bitter cold and we ended up eating at home a lot more than anticipated. I remembered that I had a pancake recipe waiting in the wings. Perfect timing.

Spoiler alert: these were probably the most velvety pancakes I've ever eaten. I don't know if it was the ricotta or the other ingredients, but I couldn't get over how soft and smooth they were. The chocolate and orange flavors were very good (much better because the orange was real, not artificial like a candy). This recipe does take a little more work (and bowls) than your usual pancake recipe. Zesting the orange, etc. took a bit of time, but as we had no plans, I had the time. The recipe indicates that the batter will be thick, but I didn't find mine to be overly thick. It was actually very easy to work with, better than several others I've tried. As per usual, my daughter enjoyed her pancakes with fake syrup, I had whipped cream, and my husband used maple syrup.

These are terrific and so tasty. They would be great for celebrating a special occasion at breakfast or just when you want a slightly elevated version of an old favorite.