My mother makes possibly the world’s worst pancakes. Really, she’ll cop to it herself. They are like sponges that suck up any syrup that touches them.
Honestly O-cel-o should be clamoring for the secret to their absorbency. Oh and they were often burnt on at least one side. By the time I was 8, we pretty much gave up on pancakes and stuck to French toast and Eggo’s. Much safer bets.
Now since she always used Bisquick, I just figured it was a requirement for pancakes. (Oh this is not a slam on Bisquick. I’m sure the result was due to the maker and you can probably make great pancakes with Bisquick.)
So you can imagine my surprise when I was visiting my faux bro at college and he whipped out flour to make pancakes. I didn’t say anything, I mean why display my ignorance.
So yes I was 20 before I realized you can make pancakes with flour. (I should probably mention that I was 41 before I ever realized Bisquick was mostly flour.) However, I have since learned what GOOD pancakes are supposed to taste like.
After all, I did live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for 20 years. And not to sound too much like a pompous New Yorker, but it is the brunch capital of the world. (Yeah, alright that was pompous.)
Brunch is a huge part of New York social life. It’s the only meal that seems to exist solely for the purpose of getting together with friends or relatives.
It is probably my favorite meal so I put together a gluten-free brunch menu in honor of Mother’s Day. I think the highlight is my recipe for Lemon Ricotta Corncakes/Pancakes but who knows, for you the highlight may be the cocktails. Enjoy!
Gluten-free Mother’s Day Brunch Menu
- Redbook’s Brunch Cocktails to Start the Day Off Right
- Coffee or Tea
- Lemon Ricotta Corncakes/Pancakes {recipe below}
- Tiny Kitchen’s Jackpot Crustless Quiche
- The Frugal Girls’ The Trick to Perfect Crispy Bacon! {without the mess!} For a side of bacon and/or to use in the Jackpot Quiche
- Gluten-free Girl’s Gluten-free Blueberry Muffins
- Kitchen Is My Place’s Cardamom Citrus Fruit Salad
Yields 10 to 12 pancakes (2 to 4 servings)
Save RecipeIngredients
Adapted from Bobby Flay’s Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Curd and Fresh Raspberries
Inspired by Anne Burrell’s Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Macerated Strawberry Coulis
Inspired by America's Test Kitchen’s The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup arrowroot or tapioca starch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Butter, for griddle
Instructions
- Place cold eggs in a bowl of hot water. Note: Warm egg whites hold air better. 15 minutes in hot water does the trick.
- Whisk together cornmeal, arrowroot or tapioca starch, baking powder, baking soda, and sugar in a small bowl.
- Place the cheese, milk, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl. Separate the eggs and add the egg yolks to the mixture. Whisk together until smooth. (Leave the egg whites in a small, clean bowl.)
- Preheat a nonstick griddle over medium heat.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the salt into stiff peaks. Tip: Add the salt 30 to 45 seconds into whipping the whites. Click here for Egg Whites 101.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the batter in thirds. Tip: View a video on How to Fold an Ingredient into your Batter .
- Brush the hot griddle with butter. Tip: If you don’t have a pastry brush, just spread the butter around with a paper towel.
- For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup of the batter on the griddle. (I used an ice cream scoop. A ladle or measuring cup also works.) When the top of the pancake bubbles and most of the bubbles have burst, the pancake is ready to flip. Cook the flipside about 2 minutes more. Repeat until no batter remains.
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