Weekly Recipe: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Figs by Ina Garten

Breakfast food! It's arguably the best food for people all around the globe, and there is nothing better than some yummy, fluffy, buttery pancakes.

We're not just talking about regular pancakes with maple syrup. We are talking about lemon ricotta pancakes with figs, courtesy the brilliant chef Ina Garten! You might think this takes a while to prepare, but with Garten by your side to guide you precisely, your breakfast will be ready in just 30 minutes.

Obviously, pancakes are a homerun for breakfast and brunch, but why stop there?

“I served breakfast for dinner one time for a dinner party," Garten says. "People went berserk. They just couldn't eat enough pancakes. It was really sweet.”

See also: Weekly Recipe: Ice Cream Three Ways by Basics with Babish

In the video, Garten makes hers with figs, because they were in season, but you can make this same recipe with blueberries, raspberries, banana or chocolate chip toppings. There are no wrong answers. Just be sure not to overmix your batter, or you'll get "tough" pancakes.

As the host of Food Network's Barefoot Contessa, Garten has changed lives with her easy-to-make recipes. She believes “there’s nothing like a home-cooked meal to make everyone feel happy and loved.” Make your loved ones feel special with a little breakfast in bed by cooking these mouth watering lemon ricotta pancakes.

Check out the video and full recipe below.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh whole milk ricotta
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 3 extra-large eggs
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons), plus extra for serving
• ¼ cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons clarified butter
• 8 to 10 ripe figs, ½-inch diced
• Salted butter and pure maple syrup, for serving

Preparation:

1. Take a large bowl, and whisk the ricotta, buttermilk, eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla all together.
2. Take a medium bowl and whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt all together.
3. While stirring with a rubber spatula, add the flour mixture to the ricotta mixture in the large bowl and mix until combined. Keep it aside for 5 minutes.
4. While the batter sits aside, prep your figs. Cut 8 figs in a half inch dice. (Try and get ripe figs if you can)
5. Heat a large (12-inch) saute pan over medium heat.
6. Pour in a tablespoon or two of the clarified butter and heat until the butter sizzles.
7. Protip: Use a standard (2 ¼-inch) ice cream scoop, to drop scoops of batter into the pan and allow them to cook for a few minutes (about 3 minutes), until bubbles appear all over the top.
8. While the pancakes cook, evenly distribute the figs on the pancakes, then turn to cook on the other side, until they spring back when lightly touched by your fingers.
9. Do the same with the remaining batter, adding clarified butter to the pan as needed.
10. Transfer the cooked pancakes to a plate.
11. Sprinkle some lemon zest on top, add a dot of butter, and drizzle with maple syrup.
12. Serve hot!

The way to any human heart is through the stomach, and with these pancakes in your stomach, you are sure to feel warm and fuzzy. Follow Garten on IG for more delicious food inspiration.