Recipe: Prepare to flip for Icebox Cafe’s lemon ricotta pancakes

Dear SOS: My cousins and I have just returned from a wonderful week in Miami Beach. The best part was having the lemon ricotta pancakes with cream cheese at the Icebox Cafe. They were heavenly! I would love to have the recipe.

Valerie W. Thomas

Culver City

Dear Valerie: This is no ordinary breakfast. The pancakes bake up slowly in the oven — each one in a separate pan — and are served fresh with whipped cream cheese on the side. Time consuming? Yes, but worth the wait when you’re savoring a long, quiet morning with family or guests.

Icebox Cafe’s lemon ricotta pancakes

35 minutes, plus baking time. Makes 8 pancakes

WHIPPED CREAM CHEESE

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons powdered sugar, more to taste

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ounces cream cheese

1 tablespoon sour cream

1 tablespoon lemon zest, from about 2 lemons

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, whip together the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks are formed, 3 to 4 minutes. Move to a separate bowl.

2. In the mixing bowl, whip the cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Add the sour cream and lemon zest and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally until completely incorporated and smooth.

3. Fold the whipped cream mixture in with the whipped cream cheese, one half at a time, careful not to overmix. This makes about 1½ cups whipped cream cheese. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

LEMON RICOTTA PANCAKES

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups (5 1/3 ounces) flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

8 eggs, divided

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon lemon juice and zest from 2 lemons

1 pound (4 sticks) butter, melted

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the sugar, flour and baking powder.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks, ricotta cheese, lemon juice and zest. With the mixer running, slowly add the dry ingredients, beating until well-combined. Continue beating, drizzling in the melted butter until well combined. Move the mixture to a separate bowl.

4. In the mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, one half at a time. This makes about 8 cups batter.

5. Spray a small, preferably 6-inch, oven-safe nonstick skillet with cooking spray (we tested using 8-inch skillets, measured across the top of the pan). Pour about 1 cup of the batter into the skillet and bake until the pancake puffs and is set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. To make more than 1 pancake at a time, use multiple pans (baking multiple pancakes at once will increase the baking time slightly).

6. The pancakes are delicate. Slide a spatula along the outer edge of each to remove from the pan. Serve immediately, with whipped cream cheese on the side. Repeat as needed until all 8 pancakes are baked.

EACH OF 8 SERVINGS

Calories 922

Protein 17 grams

Carbohydrates 57 grams

Fiber 1 gram

Fat 71 grams

Saturated fat 43 grams

Cholesterol 383 mg

Sugar 39 grams

Sodium 296 mg

NOTE: Adapted from the Icebox Cafe in Miami Beach. This recipe requires the use of small, preferably 6-inch, oven-safe nonstick skillets.