If you’re looking to up your pancake game, these lemon ricotta pancakes with caramelized blueberries is a good way to do it. They’re absolutely delicious, so grab the recipe and some food photography tips from my shoot.
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Food Photography Tips for Pancakes
Shoot Different Angles
Making pancakes is easy. Shooting them, however, can be a bit of a challenge. It took three separate shoots for me to get images that I was happy with. Overhead shots are very popular in food photography, but when it comes to certain foods (like pancakes), sometimes overhead shots aren’t always the most successful viewpoint. Shooting overhead caused the pancakes to look very flat and I wanted to see more of those gooey, stacked details. So, I decided to shoot them straight on which helped the pancakes really shine. Try not to get stuck with one angle in mind. Take your camera off the tripod, move around and find the best angle(s) that highlights the recipe.
Use A Good Macro Lens
After I decided to shoot at a more straight on angle, I decided to use my new Nikon 105mm 2.8 macro lens. This macro lens allowed me to get up close and personal with just how delicious these pancakes actually looked. Not all lenses let you get this close, so having a good macro lens is gold in food photography. How about that maple syrup drip!?
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READ MORE ABOUT: THE BEST LENSES FOR FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
Recipe Notes for Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
I originally found this recipe on Food & Wine and made a few adjustments of my own.
Use Whole Wheat Flour
I used whole wheat flour instead of regular flour and blueberries instead of apples. My hubby (Mike) loves blueberries, so I made that switch for him. And, believe it or not, I find the whole wheat flour to be more flavorful than regular flour.
Dairy-Free Option
I used almond milk in place of whole milk in an effort to create a dairy-free pancake recipe and they still tasted fluffy and delicious. This is just a matter of preference, so use the milk of your choice.
Add Extra Lemon Zest
I added extra lemon zest to this recipe. I wanted the lemon flavor to really shine through the sweetness of the caramelized blueberries. Blueberries are very sweet in this recipe, so adding extra lemon zest balances things out nicely. Yum, right?
Let me know if you try the recipe!
Happy Cooking!
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YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: WHOLE WHEAT RASPBERRY PANCAKES
Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Caramelized Blueberries
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pint of blueberries
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- Kosher salt
- 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1-1/2 cups almond milk
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
- Optional: Maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
- Add blueberries, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of lemon zest and a pinch of salt.
- Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Keep warm.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour and baking powder with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the milk with the egg yolks, ricotta and the remaining 3/4 tablespoon of lemon zest.
- Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to create the batter.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into the batter.
- Preheat a pan and grease with butter.
- Scoop 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan.
- Cook over moderately high heat until bubbles appear around the edges, about a minute.
- Flip and cook until the pancakes are golden brown and transfer to plates.
- Drizzle with caramelized blueberries and add maple syrup, if desired.
Notes
Adapted from Food & Wine.
This post contains affiliate links which means if you click or make a purchase through my site, I might make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only promote products that I actually use and support.
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All images © Regan Baroni 2014.
I just stumbled across your blog! You pictures are mouth-watering and I want to make these pancakes immediately!
Hi Rachel! Thanks so much for the compliments and for commenting! Enjoy!
-Regan
It looks so good that I want to lick my screen.